In Sound Mind – Review

October 5, 2021 D-Man in sound mind, modus games, we create stuff

Our Score: 9/10

In Sound Mind by developer, We Create Stuff is an interesting game. It’s a first-person game that’s all about psychological horror. Humans are very susceptible to be afraid of things that they don’t know about. We’re scared about the unknown and this is what In Sound Mind is all about.

Horror games come in all different types. You’ve got the ones that are all about jump scares, you’ve got the ones that are just grotesque and you’ve got ones that build on your sense of dread. In Sound Mind is a game that takes the more “human” route of horror and it succeeds.

What is In Sound Mind?

You play as Desmond Wales, a psychologist who wakes up to find the town he lives in has flooded. He’s trapped in his apartment building and the only way out seems to be by delving into the minds of his patients using cassettes.

In the levels that are all designed after the psyche of Desmond’s patients, their fears manifest as actual monsters. Monsters that Desmond needs to deal with so that he can progress and figure out what exactly is happening.

You could say its concept is similar to Psychonauts where you enter the mind of a person and see their fears manifest. But it’s done extremely differently here. It’s not a humorous, colourful, upbeat trip here. In Sound Mind takes a more serious and darker tone to that concept.

The Gameplay

We talked about how the game has various levels. The interesting thing regarding these levels is how they change up the gameplay. Each level features its own unique mechanic and pace.

Levels are all about the psyche of a patient, so you deal with monsters according to their psyche. It’s an interesting way to approach a mystery game but adding in elements of classic Metroidvania level design.

There’s a lot of variety on showcase here. Once you complete a level, you end up with something new in your toolset. You can use this to further explore your hub area and unlock new areas.

The Look and Feel

With such varied levels comes varied level designs and visuals. Each and every level feels unique and has its own aesthetic. They’re creepy, they’re unnerving, and do a fantastic job of showcasing the psyche of a person.

The enemy design in these levels is also top-notch and feel like they belong in that world. The same goes for puzzles, environmental hazards, and objects.

The hallmark of a good horror game is the sound design and soundtrack. The game’s atmosphere is perfectly expanded upon by the sound design and music. The Living Tombstones provided the music for this game and they’ve knocked it out of the park.

In Sound Mind – Final Verdict

In Sound Mind is a psychological-horror mystery that delves into the vulnerability of the human mind. With about 8 hours of gameplay here, We Create Stuff has created a game that will appeal to every fan of the horror and mystery genre. So, do yourself a favor and play this.