BACKROOMS: ESCAPE TOGETHER - WHEN LIMINAL SPACES MEET UNREAL ENGINE 5
Welcome to the Backrooms, where the wallpaper is yellower than a chain smoker's teeth and the carpet smells like your grandma's attic on steroids. Backrooms: Escape Together is the latest entry in the ever-expanding "get lost in creepy-ass empty spaces" genre, and it's here to answer the age-old question: What if we made a horror game, but made it really fucking pretty?
GRAPHICS: UNREAL ENGINE 5'S WET DREAM
Holy shit, this game is gorgeous. It's like someone took the concept of liminal spaces and injected it with pure, uncut ray-tracing. The environments are so detailed you'll swear you can smell the mold growing on the walls. It's the kind of game that'll make your GPU cry tears of joy before bursting into flames.
The attention to detail is impressive as fuck. From the way light bounces off surfaces to the eerie emptiness of each space, it's clear the devs spent more time on the visuals than I spend overthinking my life choices. It's so pretty, you'll almost forget you're supposed to be scared.
GAMEPLAY: HIDE AND SEEK, BUT MAKE IT EXISTENTIAL
At its core, Backrooms: Escape Together is about as straightforward as a drunk trying to walk a straight line. You're stuck in the Backrooms, and you need to get the fuck out. Simple, right? Well, not so fast, Sherlock.
The game throws a variety of objectives at you, from finding key cards to solving puzzles that would make a quantum physicist scratch their head. Some levels are tenser than a constipated bodybuilder, with monsters lurking around every corner. Others are emptier than my bank account after Steam's summer sale, leaving you to marinate in the creepy atmosphere.
MULTIPLAYER: MISERY LOVES COMPANY
This game shines brighter than a bald man's head in the sun when played with friends. There's something beautifully chaotic about a group of people trying to escape an endless maze while simultaneously shitting their pants. The co-op aspect adds a layer of hilarity to the horror, turning potential scares into moments of shared panic and laughter.
Communication is key, leading to some of the most panic-stricken conversations you'll ever have. "Is that a new crack in the wall or am I having a stroke?" becomes a legitimate question that could mean the difference between victory and a game over screen.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BUGGY
Good stuff? The graphics are so good they'll make your eyes orgasm. The atmosphere is thicker than a bowl of day-old oatmeal. And when it hits its stride, the game can be genuinely unsettling.
Bad stuff? The difficulty curve is about as consistent as my New Year's resolutions. Some levels are scarier than finding an unexpected item in the bagging area, while others are more relaxed than a sloth on Valium. The game's short length might leave you feeling like you've been cockteased by the cosmic horror gods.
FINAL THOUGHTS: TO ESCAPE OR NOT TO ESCAPE?
Backrooms: Escape Together is like that weird kid in school who was really good at art but also ate glue. It's beautiful, often intriguing, but sometimes you wonder what the fuck is going on in its head.
Is it perfect? Hell no. Is it fun? If you've got friends and a high tolerance for existential dread, absolutely. Just remember, this game is about as stable as my mental health during tax season.
Final Score: 7 out of 10 Misplaced Realities
It's gorgeous, it's atmospheric, but damn it, it needs more meat on its bones. If you're looking for a visually stunning way to question your sanity with friends, dive in. Just don't expect a fully-fledged, content-rich experience... yet.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stare at a blank wall for a few hours to decompress. It'll probably be just as engaging as some of the emptier levels, but at least my GPU won't explode.