Abtos Covert is a game that may have flown under your radar on release. However, it’s certain to scratch a particular itch for many horror game fans! It practically personifies the stress of a new job while raising the stakes to the max. For many, it will seem reminiscent of the original Five Nights at Freddy’s game that took the internet by storm. You’ll even have the same radio relationship with your supervisor at the beginning of each shift! Enjoy the casual small talk with a coworker before the worst night of your life! Unlike FNAF, however, Abtos Covert makes use of its quiet environment to keep the player on edge. Danger could appear at any given moment, though you’re perfectly safe, for now at least.
Credit: Iphigames, Team AbtosOverview
Abtos Covert sets the player as a new guard working at a remote military outpost. This outpost has a veil of mystery and intrigue from any who knows of it. This place has become entrenched within the local folklore. The tales of zombies and ghost-like figures haunting the area, any workers or curious explorers before you were scared away, or killed. Your new job has you keep the area secure. Unlike most soldiers, you must defend against the apparitions that intend to end you if given the opportunity.
Each night offers new challenges for you to overcome, as you learn which sound correlates to each tool at your disposal. This game does an incredible job using the space available, and the player’s senses to put them on edge. It truly encapsulates the fear of any new job, where every little issue that arises could be nothing or world-ending. The tapping sounds may just be a rat, or a ghastly horror preparing to pounce. The whistling might be a warning siren, the alarm clock, or just the kettle left on the stove ready to serve.
Spoilers Ahead
Prior to the first night, you have a shadow shift to become acquainted with the tools of the trade. You have access to security cameras, motion sensors, vent shutters, and spotlights to defend your home base. After that first night, you start to feel you have a grasp of the basics. Night two will shatter any notion of control you’ve built up to that point. You must struggle to survive as your toolbelt becomes less effective each night. The spotlight is shut off forcefully by the creature hunting you, leaving you feeling helpless. This is a continuing trend, in which each level adds a whole new barrier for you to overcome with endless gruesome attempts.
Credit: Iphigames, Team AbtosMechanics
From a technical perspective, this game expands on the classic structure of FNAF. By giving the player the ability to wander the haunted halls of the base, it only serves to make it feel all the more abandoned. The information on the first night adds a level of stress that many players may have felt starting a new job, especially with the dozens of sounds, leaving a constant sense of unease as you try to navigate your way through the night. You are responsible for controlling cameras, managing power consumption, basic maintenance, controlling vents, and hiding from wandering monstrosities. Juggling the dozen tasks thrown at you fails to provide you with a break. When all your efforts crash and burn, you’re hit with a jumpscare that is terrifying despite feeling a little choppy.
My playthrough made it apparent each night follows a predefined schedule. What this means is that each night will always be the same, monster’s don’t randomly spawn each time. There is a preset path these horrors follow, so rehearse the obstacles until you finally manage to succeed. This makes the goal of completing a night a bit simpler than if it were randomized each time. By proxy, it becomes less scary with each attempt.
Conclusion
Although this title shares similarities with FNAF, it expands on its predecessor’s design. Creating an immersive environment with additionally more complex mechanics makes this game stand out from the shadow of those before it. It accomplishes tone far better and maintains a more constant sense of unease with every second that goes by. The creators showcase a combination of skill and witty methods to keep players on edge. You’ll be sent into a tail-spin, as you await the freak show’s appearance.
For those interested, the game is available on Steam!
