Developed and published by HorseGames, Hasfax saw its way on Steam early this year. It managed to get some attention from horror fans, and so far maintains an overall Mixed score. I always have a hard time checking Indie Horror games, simply by the fact that many of them are generic and rushed.
Hasfax however, is neither. It’s not the latest sensation, of course, in fact, it’s quite far from it, but it’s interesting, well made, and not falling into mediocre concepts overly seen already. On the same level as its horror orientation, players are motivated to explore, always with a crippling fear behind the ear, and I really like that. Visuals and atmosphere combined to create a presence, one that haunts you.
We take the role of a man who finds himself in an abandoned building. Not many clues are given to why he is there, nor who is responsible for dragging him there. We do know that, we must leave, before it’s too late. Several notes are left throughout the game, and finding them can lead us to some answers, but as expected, clues won’t be as clear as you might think.
The bits of knowledge are ambiguous, just enough to keep your head transporting you to the intended location: A building abandoned and clearly torn apart by time, and those who worked there, seem to have left without a second thought. This alone wouldn’t be enough to scare you… Except for the blood, weird messages, and visions of this man who stalks you, with an axe.
The concept behind Hasfax is rather simple: Find the exit by unlocking doors and solving puzzles. It’s actually a cool mix of puzzles and “Escape Room“ scenario, in a horror setting. Most gameplay involves traversing rooms and figuring out the next door to open, to gather yet another key.
The whole planning of it may sound somehow repetitive, but it plays well with its simple mechanics. When it comes to the horror part of the gameplay, our protagonist is never in any real danger, as there isn’t anyone chasing him, except through his memories and flashbacks. If you love horror oriented locations and adventures, Hasfax will definitely be pleasurable to you, allowing a peaceful exploration with no need to rush.
Visually, the scenarios are somehow repetitive, but well depicted and considerably detailed. I personally enjoy the detail of the floor being clustered with garbage like cigarette butts and roaches. Some locations like bathrooms are quite interesting, and the occasional blood trails add a nice touch.
The corridors and overall lighting add a good visual atmosphere, with lamps flickering and reflects playing games with the shadows. There’s absolutely a dedicated passion put into the game, and it’s easy to ignore all the issues when the overall quality is above what you’d expect.
Ambient and soundtrack are both well combined, with a minimalist Tracklist created by thaFlux, who’s known for creating horror themed soundtracks, and I must say, it suits the game really well. It doesn’t sound pretentious and creates the necessary vibe to be enjoyed. Special sound effects are also on the same quality line, with a good production.
All in all, Hasfax ended up surprising me, even though its length goes around up to one hour on the first playthrough, it can quickly be completed once you memorize the layout. It’s especially good if you purchase on sale, and take the opportunity to play it during that extra hour or so you have to burn.
Walkthrough video on YouTube by MinPin Games
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