The Backrooms 1998 PS5 Review. Steelkrill Studios has made quite the name for itself in the indie horror community, managing to pack a great deal into a small game loop. As a one-man crew, game development asks a great deal on top of making hundreds of creative choices. Does he manage to get them all right with The Backrooms 1998?
The Backrooms 1998 Review (PS5) – Jump Scares Tarnish the Excellent Backroom Immersion
Setting the Scene
Much like every Steelkrill Studio title, the gameplay loop includes a story on the side, but more on that in a bit. In the 90s, three teenage boys were out skateboarding. While holding the camera, Paul trips on his board and is knocked unconscious. Unfortunately for him, he somehow wakes up in the game’s titular backrooms and needs to find his way out.
Visually, the game presents itself entirely through the VHS camera that Paul uses. This leaves the game’s realistic aesthetic behind a VHS filter. The official name for the visual effect eludes me, but this effect creates an almost out-of-focus effect. This made me physically feel a little nauseous. It never gets bad enough where I feel ill, but the first couple of minutes of a play session leave me a little queasy. Just for context, the only times that games have made me feel nauseous are in VR when the game makes me move quickly or irregularly, like the luge experience in the PSVR Worlds demo or Kayak for PSVR2.
The other thing worth mentioning is that some collectibles you find along the way won’t let you interact with them until you find a weirdly specific angle. This doesn’t break the game, and these issues never appear in a part of the game where you need to move quickly. This can still be patched if resources allow, but the issue still breaks the immersion every time it pops up.
Matter-of-Fact Story
To expand on my statement about the story, the events that take place in this backroom experience attribute themselves to the disappearance and ultimate murder of a little boy named Timmy. Three teenagers, Paul being one of them, find Timmy on his own out in the middle of nowhere. So, the three boys decide to mess with Timmy.
My issue with the delivery of this story is that you get hints for something but don’t really get any lead in that helps you connect the dots between those hints until the very end. At that point, the entire story is delivered and explained in a body of text. This is something that practically all Steelkrill games do.
With all of that said, the other aspect of Steelkrill Studio games is that they are short experiences by design. The entire game only sets you back $9.99. Knowing what I know about the The Backrooms 1998, I would still drop $10 for a game like this that you can beat in an hour or two.
Hindering A Good Thing
As you would expect from a backroom experience, 1998 sees you navigating through the terribly-lit passageways of the backrooms, trying to find your way out. Unfortunately for you, you are not alone in this space. While in search of your friends, a nasty creature stalks you. While it cannot see, it hears everything. Naturally, if you run or step on trash or refuse, then it tracks you down. The only way to survive is to hide underneath tables or in lockers that appear occasionally.
The placement of these hiding spots kind of diminishes some of the suspense and unknown nature of the game. Whenever you see these hiding spots appear, then you know that you need to worry about the creature again. On a personal note, this contradicts the existential dread that comes from the backroom experience. Yes, you are being stalked while in a labyrinth, but these blatant hints lessen the impact that comes from built-up tension.
What also makes it less impactful is how heavily 1998 leans into jump scares. When you know the creature is coming, it will still explode into the frame and make a loud noise. For instance, my first encounter with the creature sees me go down a linear hallway with hiding spots nearby and a stream of blood leading to a closed door. You know what happens next. Even then, 1998 tries to compensate for your expectation by throwing loud noises at you.
Still, Steelkrill channels the backrooms experience well. When you are left to find your way, the unease swells and looms over you. This leaves you growing more and more focused on what you do and where you go, making the jump scares that much more startling. Despite the breaks in immersion and expected nature of many elements of the game, the core concept is still here.
Still A Decent Evening Romp Despite Issues
Despite the issues, you can’t go wrong with an experience from Steelkrill Studio. The backroom environment itself is done to perfection, depicting that sense of perpetual and hopeless wandering that leads to existential dread. However, that perfect execution finds itself muddied by cheap jump scares and obvious situations. Even with these issues, for $9.99, The Backrooms 1998 still makes for a fun evening diversion.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.
The Backrooms 1998 is available now for PS5.