Gylt Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

Aside from Tim Burton’s Coraline, or R.L. Stein’s Goosebumps, there aren’t all that many horror shows that are intentionally targeted towards children. In the gaming sphere, too, there aren’t quite nearly as many; In Nightmare or Among the Sleep, perhaps — and even then, that’s if you’re really scraping the barrel. As a result of all this, it’s somewhat difficult to recommend certain entry-level horror games for younger players. Moreover, it’s difficult to teach a newer audience the fundamentals of the genre, doubly so when it’s evidently rife with sensitive issues and what have you. With that said, there are some independent games that provide such players with the opportunity to get their feet wet. For example, there’s Gylt, a relatively short but oddly charming survival-horror game that thankfully takes the core elements of a traditional horror, and repackages them to fashion a gateway for newcomers.

As it stands, Gylt is, in all honesty, one of the better love letters to the world of entry-level horror out there. The question is, is it worth playing as maturer, wiser, and slightly more experienced player? Or better yet, is it worth introducing to a fresh-faced gamer who’s yet to find their way in the world of cheap thrills and atmospheric exploration? Let’s talk about it.

Guilty as Charged

Gylt thrusts you into the opaque corner of a parallel world—an eerie dimension in which you, playing as a young girl named Sally, must enter in order to find your wayward cousin, Emily. Think Silent Hill, but with a significant lack of hazardous and ever-changing weather conditions and far fewer pyramid-shaped humanoids, and you’ll have a vague idea of what it’s all about. That’s Gylt, in a nutshell: a cleaner, less threatening representation of a cult classic saga, only with less barbaric visuals and effects, and slightly more Pixar-centric storytelling and gameplay. The core elements of a horror game are certainly there, for sure, but in no way are they challenging or derogatory to the established blueprint. And that’s, you know, a relief, given the fact that this is, albeit a somewhat child-friendly iteration, a horror game, clear as day.

Gylt isn’t the longest game out there; in fact, you can brush it under the rug in three hours or less. What’s more, as there are little to zero items to collect or alternate endings to pursue, it doesn’t require you to step back and relive all of the highlights again, either. But what does it do with such a short amount of time? Well, aside from leaving eight-year-olds with a bad dream or two, not much, to be fair. But then, I’m not in the target demographic here; I get a lot of my kicks out of horrors that are slightly more traditional, often ones that embed pure nightmare fuel into the mix, and not, for example, thought-provoking morals that pull on your heartstrings, of which Gylt relies heavily upon to chalk out the outlines for its narrative. Swings and roundabouts — you know how it is.

Into the Unknown

The three core elements that you’ll find in Gylt are stealth, combat, and exploration. For the most part, goals are comprised of tiptoeing through the nooks and crannies of a dark and dainty world, and using a flashlight to fend off various foes and entities that take on the form of twisted creatures in human vessels. Think Alan Wake, and how it had you romping through the woods and shining beacons of light on murderous silhouettes, and that’s essentially what you have here — only with less bloodshed and fewer boss fights. Granted, the combat isn’t the defining feature in the game, though it does make frequent appearances as you knuckle in on new areas of the map and explore some of the more mysterious locations that the world has to offer.

Aside from the combat—a simple and easy component that doesn’t take a whole lot of effort or skill to master—the game also offers a genuinely unsettling world to scoot around in. Sure enough, this is, without a doubt, the best part about the journey — the unpleasantness of being alone in a seemingly desolate environment that’s borderline devoid of any human life or lighthearted camaraderie. Due to the game also featuring a chilling soundtrack that infuses creepy piano melodies with a constant sense of dread, it further reinforces the feeling that, while the world does have its share of enemies, you are alone, and the only helping hand within reach is your own.

A Master of Stealth

There’s a fair share of stealth in Gylt—moments that require you to enter a simple crouching position, and carefully maneuver through dimly lit locations and other areas of foliage and natural ruin. Again, these portions aren’t necessarily difficult to navigate, what with the controls being mostly limited to a select few button prompts and actions. Fortunately, this does make the overall experience significantly easier to work with, and therefore, an ideal portal for those who are either new to the scene, or for those who’d much rather sink their teeth into a straightforward game that’s without any unforgivable consequences or unnatural curveballs.

There are, of course, one or two minor inconveniences strewn between the margins here, though they rarely ever go as far as to test your patience or eat away at your mental health. As with any horror game that draws from the same textbook, Gylt does feature its share of environmental puzzles to work through. Again, these aren’t particularly tricky, nor are they in possession of multiple pathways or solutions; on the contrary, they’re often as simple as moving a cone of light, or shuffling one or two objects to cast a light on a particular object. In other words, there aren’t any major roadblocks that prevent you from progressing further into the story. That’s always a plus, for sure.

A Message to You, Coraline

As I mentioned earlier, Gylt is, for lack of a better word, borderline Pixar material. It isn’t quite on the same wavelength as, say, Keno: Bridge of Spirits, but its art style is highly reminiscent of modern-day animations and other beloved children’s works, particularly those that incorporate grungy characters and locales into their otherwise picturesque and wholesome designs. The only real difference here, of course, is its subtle use of horror—a component that, while not the least bit terrifying, is arguably one of the cleanest I’ve seen in quite some time. Sure, the cheap scares and minimalistic controls aren’t going to suit every die-hard fan of the genre and their neighbors, but where it lacks in depth, it most certainty makes up for in solid design work and convincing sound effects.

Let it be said that, while the intricate details, such as the sound quality and general atmosphere, are all rather well presented, the storyline itself isn’t all that great, and not entirely memorable, either. I’m not saying that it’s predictable, but it doesn’t exactly go out of its way to conjure endless waves of twists and turns, either, which of course means that there’s a good chance that, even once the credits have parted ways with the climax, there isn’t much else to anticipate. Given the fact that the three hours that it does share contains a sufficient amount of quality moments, though, I’m willing to let the lack of imagination slide, if only to balance out the scales and elevate the positives.

Verdict

If you’re a die-hard fan of gore and mindless violence, then it’s doubtful that you’ll get your kicks out of Gylt and its bite-sized banquet of tiny horrors. If, however, you’re content with substituting the brashness of it all with a simple and relatively short slump through the motions, then sure, I can’t see why you wouldn’t want to take a big ol’ hunk out of it. For the record, though, this isn’t a mature game, nor is it one that’ll scratch that itch for pure and unadulterated nail-biting horror; on the contrary, it’s a short passage that’s far better in the hands of a younger player who’s relatively new to the genre and without the wealth of experience to tackle slightly more competitive games.

To go ahead and answer that initial question of whether or not Gylt is worth playing — yes, it is, but only if you’re comfortable with settling for less horror than the average top-shelf alternative, and not to mention a control system that’s no more expansive than your average beginner-friendly platformer. Sure enough, Gylt is still a fantastic game, through and through, and thus, a perfect starting point for fresh and inexperienced eyes.