Mini Review: Slender (PC)

Is Slender the most frightening game ever? It may well just be...



You start the game in a dark wooded area with no weapons, with nothing more than a sense that something horrible is about to happen. And there's sweet FA you can do about it.

Slender is based on the Slender Man mythology popularized through a Something Awful thread, and it doesn’t bother telling you why you’re there or if it’s possible to escape, only that you're given the task of collecting eight-pages, but with every piece you collect, the Slenderman's footsteps become more overpowering and booming. Getting closer, and closer.

The game is nothing pretty, boggy textures and simple graphics, but the way the game causes an almost claustrophobic element, makes you feel uneasy. And added to the effect, is your flashlight, which will dim the longer you leave it on. You can sprint, but your stamina gets lower everytime you run, so use it sparingly.

The music is the real winner here. It's dark and gloomy, with the Slenderman's presence taking over with every step, your own characters breathing getting heavier, and the soundtrack alerting you to your almost demise with every turn of a corner.

It's horrifying. On first play through, I managed to get 5 pages before the Slenderman caught me, and I'll be honest - we almost messed ourselves. I turned around, and he was there. He just appeared. I've never jumped at a game or movie, I've played through all the Resident Evils and Silent Hills, and no game has ever scared me. Slender managed it in a matter of mere minutes.

But on the brighter side of things, Slender is free, and should run on most PC's with relative ease. So, what's stooping you from heading here and taking on the Slenderman's challenge?