Broken Bird Games, a small independent studio from Gran Canaria, Spain, strives to create experiences with a high narrative load that manages to showcase the team’s passion for video games and captivating stories. You can see this in the demo for their upcoming horror title, Luto, which is now available on the PlayStation Store and on Steam.
This demo is called ‘The Choice’, which is a stand-alone experience that gives gamers an introduction to the setting, atmosphere, and narrative gameplay without spoiling what looks to be an emotional story. Luto is marketed as a game that explores the pain of losing a loved one and the horror of the insecurity of darkness that lurks behind anxiety and depression.
The game is a first-person horror game, much like Amnesia, with puzzles similar to, but not as intricate, as the ones found in the Resident Evil series. You wind up in a mysterious and dilapidated house with no way out. The main puzzle of the demo is in a children’s room filled with various drawings of events to help you find your way. Players must find the missing drawings, which are scattered throughout the eerie hallways and rooms in this peculiar home.
What I appreciated in Luto was that the scares were not cheap, the game relies on the tension it has effortlessly created and not so much jump scares. I had goosebumps for most of my time playing the 30-45 minute demo, and that was attributed to how tense it was exploring the environment. Every new door handle I turned had me sliding further and further down my couch. I’m not going to dive deep into what scared me, as I think anyone playing the demo should go into it blind to get the most out of it.
Luto is now on my list of games to watch out for in 2024. Who or what are the supernatural beings I encountered in the demo? Where will the narrative take us on a journey to next? These are the questions I will be eagerly awaiting answers to once Luto releases in 2024.
Watch the Luto trailer:
Luto will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in 2024.
