Released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project was an extremely low budget, found-footage horror film. Set in the forests of Maryland, three friends attempt to make a documentary about the fabled Blair Witch. Things go awry as the trio are manipulated, hunted, and eventually killed by a supernatural force. Selling the fictional film as real, The Blair Witch Project spread like wildfire thanks to its genius marketing campaign. Since then, there have been two terrible sequels films and the movie’s inspiration can still be seen today.
Looking to capture this unique brand of horror is Polish developer, Bloober Team. Announced during 2019’s E3, the Blair Witch is a psychological, survival horror game that is set two years after the events of the original movie. Players step into the shoes of a former police officer assisting in the search of a young boy who has gone missing. Recently, we got a chance to sit down and try Bloober Team’s Blair Witch game via five bite-sized chapters.
(Disclaimer: The author was given a Blair Witch hoodie and digital codes for the three Blair Witch films.)
The crux of Blair Witch is the relationship you have with your faithful canine companion, Bullet. While we didn’t get to see this firsthand, a member of Bloober Team explained that the fate of the dog will depend on how you treat it. It’s hard not to get attached to this adorable dog since he serves as your only connection to the real world. Despite my brief time with Blair Witch, I quickly found myself keeping close to Bullet whenever things got creepy.
There are a number of commands you can give Bullet, such as sticking close, seeking out an object, or telling him to wait. He will always listen, but the player has to determine which command is needed. His A.I. and pathing seemed fine, as there were almost no issues with him getting stuck on the terrain. Bullet is essential to your survival, as he can help find key items or warn you of enemies.
That’s right, I said enemies. Unlike The Blair Witch films, Bloober’s interpretation has twisted, borderline translucent forest monsters hunting you down. Acting as an extension of the witch, these creatures can be scared off by shining your flashlight on them. Since they blend in with the woods, users have to pay attention to Bullet since he can sense them. It’s a neat little interaction, but I worry the novelty of being hunted by monsters hidden in the woods will overstay its welcome.
One clever aspect we got to preview was the camcorder puzzle mechanics. Throughout the game, players will find cassette tapes they can playback. Not only do these give small hints of what happened, but you can actually manipulate reality with these tapes. By watching a chase scene on the camcorder, you can pause the footage when a door opens. Doing so will cause that previously locked door to open in your timeline. It’s a supremely clever way to tie in the found-footage concept that The Blair Witch Project helped popularize.
Another use for the camera is seeing specific types of monsters or symbols that may not exist in our reality. We only saw a brief version of this while we were skulking about the famed Blair Witch house. This is where Bloober Team’s vision really came into focus, as their ability to manipulate the environment was masterful. The house felt truly alive, making it the scariest moment in the entire demo. Our exploration of the abandoned, broken home culminated in having to sneak by a vicious monster in the shadows without looking at it.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Blair Witch is the concept of multiple endings and storylines. Bloober Team explained to me that almost every action you take during the game will determine how the plot unfolds. Sadly, we weren’t able to see this in action, so it’s difficult to say just how impactful certain choices will be. Given how focused previous Bloober games are, we cannot help but wonder how they will handle such a complex, ambitious design choice.
It’s hard to determine if Blair Witch will be the next great horror game. Our experience was extremely streamlined, yet, I was informed that the forest is not always linear. Even though the combat isn’t exactly engaging, there’s some nice tension layered throughout exploring the woods. What we know for sure is that we will be protecting Bullet with our life, even if we are being hunted down by a psychotic, supernatural witch.
Blair Witch releases August 30 for PC and Xbox One.