Hey gang, Valkor here. And coming to the GameView stage is something of a new experience for me. The title is called “Fade to Silence” and it really puts you through the rigors of not only the harshest elements but you'll also have to survive attacks from the supernatural. Is the game worth your time and money? Let's find out!
In Fade to Silence, you take on the role of a guy named Ash as he attempts to survive a vast wasteland in the cruelest of temperatures. Much of your adventure is spent gathering resources such as hunting for meat or gathering wood for a fire. But you'll also be able to craft objects and even clothing to either protect to you from damage or keep you warm from the freezing temps. Along your journey, you'll find other survivors whom you can ask to join your settlement. They'll bring along skills that will help your little refuge thrive such as being able to turn tainted meat into something edible. They can also hunt or gather resources, giving you more time to explore. There's a lot of management involved, so in order to keep yourself and your crew alive, you'll have to stay on top of things.
While there are baddies to hinder your progress, the worst threat you'll face is the freezing temperatures; stay out for too long without warming up and you'll face a blistering death from a sudden cold snap that will most definitely put you down unless you make it to some kind of shelter and a campfire. You'll have to ensure that you have firewood on hand to boot or else the struggle to survive will be all for naught with Death literally waiting for you at the end. You get a couple of tries, but once you meet your final death it's permanent and you'll have to start all over. Thankfully, the game grants you “boons” that will give you something of a boost for the next round of play such as more firewood, or Flames of Hope, boosting your chances of survival.
In the end, Fade to Silence is all about survival and you'll try your damndest to get through this title. It isn't seriously difficult like Demon Souls or The Surge, but it'll put your skills to the test. So, is it ultimately worth the price of admission? Let's find out in the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
I have to say I didn't dislike “Fade to Silence”; it's something kind of different for me since I'm more used to action or RPGs titles. Not so much with crafting or resource management. It does get a little tedious at times as you'll spend much of your time, in the beginning, running back and forth to the main camp just to unload stuff. All the while you have to keep track of your health and body temperature. And this goes double for when you add survivors to your fold because they take up resources as well. It took some getting used to the mechanics, but thankfully the game doesn't make things too chaotic for you. The gameplay is on point and it's a breeze to just dive right in. I had no issues getting around, taking out a deer from afar, or putting down a Ripper whenever I came across one. The graphics are pretty decent; there's nothing that will totally blow you away, but I dig the wintry backdrops and the fluid animations. In the end, I'm not crazy about Fade to Silence, but it doesn't disappoint either. Like, I don't feel bad having played it. And I find myself dipping back into it from time to time.
The Bad:
My only nitpick with the game stems on the fact that I can kill an enemy with either a torch, ax or a pick. But when it comes to hunting deer, I can only use a bow and arrow. Mind you at one point this deer ran right into me but I couldn't just slice it up with an ax or burn it to a crisp with a torch. But I will say this, I like how if you shoot the deer with an arrow and it runs off, you can track it by its blood trails. And that's the kind of detail I can appreciate.
The Ugly:
N/A
Fade to Silence is available now. And it's a fairly decent survivor adventure. It can get tedious at times, but it won't rank as one of the worst titles I've ever played. It's not a game I'd highly recommend, but if you're looking for something different, then give this one a shot. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving Fade to Silence a 3.
