On Feb. 14, The Tartan received an offer for a review copy of a brand new indie horror game: “Helios Hotel: The Night Shift.” Having heard nothing of this game — which only had 5 reviews on Steam — we decided to check it out.
Developed by Rose Lane Games, a team of two people, “Helios Hotel” is a first-person horror game with hotel management as a framing device. The game will consist of four chapters upon final release, which is estimated to be in October. As of writing this, two chapters are available. A free demo exists for those who want to try the game, or there’s a small $2.99 price tag for those wishing to play the full early access version.
You play as Rose, a new hire at a mysterious hotel. The game takes place over a few nights as you complete tasks for your boss and explore the strange happenings within the establishment. This is a fairly solid setup, which unfortunately is eroded by the game itself.
The game appears to be composed of a mishmash of assets that vary in both style and resolution. Many of these are likely from outside sources due to a large list of credited outside artists. The hotel itself is largely barren, with only a few notable points here and there. Although this sparse level design may be intended to create feelings of agoraphobia, repeating textures and assets make it seem more slapdash than scary. It’s also important to note, graphics-wise, that the game utilizes some sort of dynamic lighting system, potentially ray tracing — a rendering technique that simulates lighting by tracing the path of light rays. This doesn’t exactly mesh well with the aforementioned visual issues. These lighting systems also slow down computer processing — my RTX 4060 had slight stuttering at times on the highest graphics setting.
These are far from the only technical difficulties, though. Collision isn’t perfect, animations clip often, and some objects require the player to get angles just right to interact. Although these issues don’t ruin the experience, at times adding to a low-budget charm, they are notable.
Additionally, little instruction is given for what to do in the game. In a chase scene towards the end of the game, it took me multiple tries to figure out where I needed to go or what I needed to do. Unfortunately, this is a running theme. Most of my time playing “Helios” was spent wandering the halls of the hotel looking for anything of note.
As for the scares themselves, most amount to simple jumpscares, and the spirits we’ve yet to see in the hotel have fairly basic designs. Most of the horror I got from the game was when my roommate turned the lights out to go to bed while I was playing.
However, the game isn’t terrible. Despite these issues, which seem to stem from both the developers having a low budget and not much experience, “Helios” is at times quite charming. The dialogue is filled with dumb jokes, which mesh well with the assumable prefab animations, lending the game an early-internet feel. The writing as a whole also packs in specific details, such as a task list being addressed to your superior, which they clearly just shoved onto you. Characters have specific personalities, and certain design and plot decisions work really well. It seems clear that the developers do care about this project, and that passion certainly comes through.
As for the game’s future, it seems to have potential. The technical limitations can certainly be fixed, and this is clearly a game still in beta. With some fixes here and there, along with a more refined style, I would love to recommend this game. Unfortunately, as of writing, the game’s technical issues keep me from doing so. That being said, when chapters 3 and 4 come out, I’ll be among the first lined up to play them.
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