I just got done playing Project Songbird, and I have to say that it was a little psychological horror gem! I am a sucker for a horror game, and this just ticked all of the boxes, for real. It had a great storyline, it was weird and a little mind-bending, and it didn’t rely on jump scares. Just a few when you least expected it, which totally made me scream (sorry neighbours). Not just constantly trying to bombard you throughout the game for cheap thrills.
Loading into the game, you head over to a PC, and then you are greeted by the Game Producer, Conner Rush, and he talks you through some settings. I thought this was so freaking cool. He wants us to feel involved and wanted to make sure we get the best out of the game. This won me over straight away!
Writers Block
You play as Dakota, who is a Musician under the Artist name Neon Songbird. She is struggling with her mental health and has clearly been through some sort of trauma. She has serious writer’s block, causing her to write experimental tracks that her fans are definitely not on board with. You start in Dakota’s apartment, and receive a call from her manager, Rob. Rob suggests a stay in a friend’s remote log cabin (uh-oh, total Evil Dead vibes). So she can write a new album in peace, and of course, Dakota agrees and sets off for the cabin.
Cabin Fever
When you arrive at the cabin, the game feels like a normal walking-sim-style game. No horror involved, checking out your surroundings, recording sounds you hear, and doing little tasks to make life at the cabin easier. I enjoyed how peaceful it felt, hearing all the nature sounds and soaking in the serene ambience. I love when horror games lull you into a false sense of security! The cabin was basic, but you get to play around with the instruments. This made a short demo, which I thought was a nice touch. Things soon change after dark, and Dakota is drawn to follow a light.
Follow The Light
Following the light takes you on a journey, not just through the woodland. But beyond that, you’re sent into some sort of alternate reality, somewhat familiar to Dakota. When you are transported to these other places, you can feel Dakota’s despair, and her anxiety is building. While trying to progress through these areas, you have a couple of different enemies to deal with. Each one takes a different strategy to get past. Don’t get me started on the Stalker. Seriously. I was TERRIFIED of this thing, the noise it made when chasing me, oh my god. It sent my heart into full-blown panic and distress! Getting chased is one of my most terrifying experiences in horror games. But getting chased by this thing was something else!
Well Equipped
You acquire an axe, a revolver, and eventually a hunting rifle to help you deal with them. Unfortunately, like most horror games, ammo is scarce, so being stealthy is your friend. Not gonna lie, the combat is a little clunky. But to be perfectly honest, I thought that added to the game, making it even scarier when coming up against them. These weapons can be upgraded at benches using scrap that you collect throughout the game. The damage upgrades are definitely worth doing. You also get a field recorder, a radio, and pick up throwable bottles. The field recorder is handy in sketchy situations, as it can help you detect where the enemies are. So you can take a more stealthy approach.
Puzzle piece
I didn’t find the puzzles overly difficult, although some definitely got my brain working a bit, which I love. The puzzles at the cabin are a little easier than the ones you come across in the nightmare realm. It also helped being able to play the piano, to be quicker in some puzzle areas. As with a lot of horror games, there’s a lot of back and forth to help the story unfold. I was worried at certain points, making my way through the areas, that I’d never find my way back, but that only added to my fear, which was great.
Music Feature
Another pretty cool feature of the game is the fact that you can listen to some different tracks from real artists on Dakota’s record player. Some of them were actually pretty good. While staying at the cabin, Dakota has been tasked by Rob to write 10 songs for a new album, and again, all the demo tracks she writes, you can listen to. The demo song Aperture she records is an absolute banger. I vibed to this on repeat more than I can say!
Scene and sounds
The way the game is made is also very artistic. You can tell that they’ve thought about every aspect of the game and not just how to scare you. You can tone the effects down, which I did with a few settings to make the most of capturing some good screenshots, and it also made it easier to navigate the darker areas, which felt quite hard to see, especially if you were hurt in any way. The game audio fits the bill with whispering and monster groaning, all making scenes feel way more intense, immersing you into the game more.
Are You Doing Ok?
A few times throughout, you will get messages from the producer. Which was pretty cool, making the game seem like you are a part of it. It was like he wanted to make sure you are ok. It almost feels like it’s a self-help journey for him as well. Which I thought gave the game a very unique feel.
Final thoughts?
This game feels like a journey, progressing through Dakota’s mental state and different emotions. You go through everything with her, wondering if it’s real or a dream. It’s a mix of classic walking sim and psychological survival horror. This is exactly the type of horror game that, when I play it, I never want to end. The story was good, the game art was beautifully executed, but the combat was a little inconsistent. I cannot wait to see what else comes from Conner Rush. He got the right balance of calm with the storm. The game is quite short, but even at that. It definitely felt worth its money and more. A solid entry to the psychological survival horror game genre.
