Is this horror more than a tribute to P.T.?
Luto is a first-person psychological horror narrative experience where you will embody a person unable to exit his own house. Finding the way to leave it will lead you through a series of paths that will challenge your senses. Explore the pain caused by the loss of a loved one, the horror of the insecurity to the deepest darkness hidden behind anxiety and depression…
When you first start playing Luto, you’ll instantly start making comparisons to P.T., the tech demo of what would have been Silent Hills from Hideo Kojima, but enough of what could have been and instead let’s look at this on its own merits. While it does borrow from the repeating paths, it does manage to carve out its own identity with its story and while a horror, it has a different vibe that emanates guilt and grief throughout.
I won’t go into detail of the actual story as it’d give too much away, but I was impressed with how it was told and would happily replay it, even after knowing what to expect. The puzzles can be a little inconsistent in their quality, but I did enjoy the majority of them. The feeling of dread here isn’t quite on P.T. or Layers of Fear standards, but it does well to make you hesitate to push forward, not knowing quite what to expect…
The visuals are impressive with a highly-detailed house that is under constant change, as well as accessing new areas. The framerate is consistent, and I didn’t come across any glitches, while voice-acting was decent and the soundtrack full of emotion.
The Verdict
Luto may not have the same level of scares as the horrors that inspired it, but it does provide a decent story that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. If you’re looking for your next first-person horror, then this is worth a look.
Score: 8.0