As a huge fan of the original Blair Witch movie, I was so excited to get my hands on this latest game. While the sequel, remake, and even those original games back in the day were disappointing. The original Blair Witch lore was just perfect for a video game. While it may have taken a few decades, we now have the Blair Witch game that I always wanted.
How to Download Blair Witch
You can obtain the PC version of the game by visiting Steam. Click on the Download button at the end of this review.
The Game Review
The game is set in 1996 in the same woods as the original movie from 1999. The Black Hills Forest is no stranger to missing people and now a young boy has gone missing. You play as a troubled cop called, Ellis who along with his dog is part of the search party. His backstory is actually a pivotal part of the game and something that I think is handled very well.
I have always been fascinated by the whole lore of the Blair Witch and you get a lot of that with this game. From the woods and the surrounding area to all the people that have gone missing in these woods. Not only that, the tragedy that is in Ellis’s past makes him a very interesting and compelling character. Without a doubt, if you like the lore of this franchise, you will be sucked right in here.
The gameplay that is here is quite interesting. You walk around the woods with your dog and you only have a flashlight and your very 90s phone to help you out for the most part. Your dog will warn you if the Blair Witch is coming, set you in the right direction and in many ways actually works like your Hud. For the most part, this works very well, but sometimes he would not alert me when the witch was around!
There is no combat in the game. It is all about exploration, puzzle-solving and just trying to survive. When you encounter the Blair Witch, which is terrifying when it happens. You can fend her off with the flashlight, kind of like what you could do in Alan Wake actually. There are things to interact with and various puzzles for you to solve. It can be hard to know where you can and cannot go, but you eventually figure it all out.
One gameplay mechanic that I think is not only fun, but a clever not to the original movie is found footage. You can find tapes that you can play in a 90s camera and these let you mess with time. You can reopen a door, clear a path or something else. Being able to change what is in the real world via the tapes is a fun game mechanic that I really wish there was more of.
Blair Witch is a great looking game. The forest and locations (especially the sawmill) are creepy as hell! The way when it gets dark, things just look more sinister keeps you on edge and the whole game has this nightmare type feel to it. First time I made it to “the house” I was legit scared to go in!
There are a few bugs here and there. The most notable glitch for me was when the dog would not bark and tell me where the Blair Witch was. This along with some items not letting you interact with them can take you out of the game on occasion. Still, these issues are not game-breaking and did not spoil my experience with the game.
The Blair Witch game really does nail it for me. This is exactly the kind of game I wanted back in the early ’00s. It is full of suspense; I loved the story they were telling and I feel that Ellis is a far better character than people are giving him credit for. If you are a fan of the original movie, you have to play this game. Even if you are not this is one of the best horror games of 2019!
