Reviews VideoGame / Chzo Mythos

it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts

Relying more on atmosphere, psychological terror and jump scares than cheap gore and swearing demons and whatever other horror cliches pervade the genre's climate today, the Chzo Mythos is pretty much the pinnacle of freeware horror, and a damn good series of games in its own right. Even though it didn't start out as a series as such, Croshaw did a pretty fine job, all things considered, to tie the early games into the larger series arc. Certainly worked out better than most "real" creators' attempts at this, that's for sure.

Gameplay-wise, there's hardly anything revelatory, but that's just the way I like it. The gameplay should always be a light distraction from the atmosphere, story, or humor the title otherwise has to offer, anyway. There are some puzzles that are a bit "out there", but most are right clever, and they often avoid the Fake Longevity often provided by the occasional Moon Logic Puzzle. This being said, fake longevity does often rear its ugly head in the form of copious, repetitive backtracking (though often, thankfully(?) mitigated by the intense atmosphere).

One and all, the games feel deliciously homespun; while never "cheap", they certainly hearken back to the '80s and '90s DOS era of horror adventure games. In fact, the low-res graphics outright enhance the horror in that a lot of the characters and things get a bit of an Uncanny Valley effect. Though I was never a fan of Lovecraftian horror, Croshaw tempers it with enough realism, humanity, and humor to balance things out.

The games are also pretty fascinating from a meta-standpoint. You can see the artist growing between each installment, be it with more detailed graphics, more realistic dialogue, or, lest we forget, protagonist Trilby's growth from obvious and detached Mary Sue to a broken, quivering wreck. The series reaches its peak with the third installment, which is one of the most harrowing horror games there is. The fourth installment ties things up to mixed success (not to mention a Downer Ending from hell) but is a worthy finale.

Though freeware, the many charms of the series definitely outshine a good number of games made by "real" companies that demanded money for it. Sadly, it also marks an artistic high point for Croshaw—displaying qualities here that are definitely above average—that's yet to be surpassed by anything he's done since.