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Sleep Awake: Dazzling Dystopia, Dull Gameplay
3 Dec
Summary
- The game features psychedelic visuals and a unique premise.
- Players explore the last city on Earth as Katja, battling exhaustion.
- Gameplay relies on tired mechanics like finding keycards and sneaking.
Sleep Awake offers a visually striking psychological horror experience, but its gameplay falters. Set in a desolate, imagined cityscape, the game follows Katja, who must stay awake to avoid a mysterious affliction known as the Hush. This struggle induces psychedelic visions, contributing to the game's surreal atmosphere and leading to societal paranoia among survivors.
The game's exploration of its decaying world is intercut with beautiful yet eerie FMV sequences, creating an arthouse feel. Visuals include stark silhouettes against red skies and close-ups of bubbling liquids, sometimes overlaid onto the 3D environment. Even the death screen evolves into a hallucinatory, mutating spectacle.
However, Sleep Awake fails to translate its unique aesthetics into engaging gameplay. Tasks such as finding keycards and dodging enemies with predictable patrol routes result in a repetitive and uninspired experience. Despite its visual ambition and Gary Numan's unexpected cameo, the game's narrative and interactive elements lack the depth needed to fully realize its potential.
