Avril Review (PC)

Avril spins a yarn that we’ve had the pleasure of unraveling dozens, if not hundreds of times before. If you were to replace the names of the characters and the statutory heirlooms from the mix, in fact, then you would (and I mean this with utmost respect) have the outlines of a somewhat predictable indie horror. Take the plot, for example. Like a lot of textbook horrors, it tells the tale of a concerned protagonist who, after returning to an apartment in attempt to find his estranged sister, discovers that the building harbors some ritualistic secrets in the depths of its ominous underbelly. If you haven’t heard that story before, then I applaud you for managing to give most indie horror games a wide berth.

The good news is that Avril has plenty of signature hooks of its own. If we remove the predictable plot and several of the cliches that tether to the twists and turns, for instance, then we actually have some good bones to work with. And by good bones, I’m referring to its genuinely curious crossroads and the cryptically enticing gameplay experience that, to be fair, houses a lot of tender moments for you to pluck out. So, the storyline is, well, it’s about as textbook as one might expect. But that isn’t to say that it’s without a USP. Frankly, Avril has a solid foundation, and although it does lumber the weight of the world’s absurdly high expectations on its shoulders, it does manage to keep its head above water.

Homebound

Never Vague Games may resort to the usual fodder that we’ve seen in alternate horrors—gloomy hallways, ambient lighting, and the mandatory inclusion of the usual ritualistic sigils and what have you—but it also capitalizes on a concept that has been proven to work numerous times over. The setting comes across as familiar, and it doesn’t take much to come to terms with the fact that, title forgiving, it’s of a similar design as most independent thrillers. Sure enough, there are rooms in an apartment complex to explore, ritualistic clues to document, and a steady linear flow of frequent encounters and unsettling beats to carve through. But again, it’s a concept that works, so I can’t fault it for keeping in line with its adversaries. Visage comes to mind here, unsurprisingly.

The game itself takes you through the various quarters of the apartment building whilst you aimlessly search for the missing pieces pertaining to a ritualistic plot that looms beneath the woodwork of an otherwise ordinary duplex. There are objects to identify, logical puzzles to solve, and of course, brief jump scares to subject yourself to as you traipse between corridors in an effort to thread the needle and make sense of the unholy situation that you find yourself in. Again, nothing we haven’t already seen a hundred times before in alternate dimensions. But, stick with us, anyway — it isn’t all doom and gloom and predictable premonitions.

Outside the Ordinary

The good news is that Avril does indeed take full advantage of its ties with Unreal Engine 5 to cough up some genuinely intriguing landmarks and points of interest. The building itself isn’t short of regurgitated assets I’ll admit, though it does contain a staggering amount of oddly detailed curiosities and supernatural properties that make the eye wander. The only issue with this is that, while it does make an effort to fill its canvas with a lot of good set pieces, it doesn’t stick around long enough to capture a complete image. And that brings me to my next issue: the length of the story — it’s a little too short. And by short I mean forty minutes short. What’s more, as it doesn’t contain any checkpoints or alternate endings, it sadly falls into the one-and-done category. That isn’t a bad thing, though like most horrors that adopt a similar approach, it does leave a lot to be desired, sadly.

Thankfully, Avril does make good use of its short runtime by implementing some memorable moments and a good collection of grotesque scenes. What’s more, it flows in a smooth manner, with little to no major technical flaws or teething issues preventing it from flaunting its most notable assets. Granted, it isn’t buttery smooth, and it could still do with a little extra time in the oven to help grease some of its weaker points. But there’s hope, alright, and that’s what I’m taking away from this.

Verdict

To give credit where it’s due, Never Vague Games has stumbled upon something truly special in the realm of corridor-scrubbing detective horror with Avril. I’ll admit, it isn’t without its minor flaws, and the general pacing of its storyline isn’t always as well-orchestrated or as enticing as it could be. But there are numerous intricate fixtures that I think deserve to be recognized and commemorated here. The visuals, for example, are pleasantly detailed and glazed in a familiar yet workable frosting—a palette that, while not perfect, or even in possession of anything particularly fresh, for that matter, has some quality undertones that ought to bode nicely with those who share a keen eye for macabre brushstrokes and ritualistic imagery.

I’d be lying if I said that I was fully satisfied with the game’s runtime. Truth be told, I could’ve happily spent a little more time connecting the dots and exploring the inner sanctum of the gloomy apartment complex and all its ritualistic terrors. At just forty minutes in length, however, it felt as if the journey came to a halt a little too quickly — and that was a shame, truly. It wrapped things up in an effective manner, for sure, but not before leaving a few things for me to crave on the outskirts of its relatively short campaign. A bit of nitpicking, but a little extra meat on the bones would’ve been appreciated, all things considered.

Given that Avril is Never Vague Games’ debut title, I have to applaud the developer’s commitment to making a surprisingly quality indie thriller. It isn’t the soon-to-be poster planchet of supernatural horror, but it’s definitely one that brings a lot of great ideas to the ouija board. Take from that what you will, folks.