Lone Survivor follows the story of a nameless man, who throughout the game is seen wearing a surgical mask. The game takes place in a world where a deadly infection has taken over and has turned humans into mindless and aggressive monsters, of sorts. There is death around every corner and decay everywhere. With limited equipment, the player must guide the protagonist through a hellish world where things may not be as black and white as they appear.

If you were to ask me what Lone Survivor is, I would say it without hesitation that it is a 2D Silent Hill game. You can see that everything from the ambiance/ music to the overall design of the monsters and gameplay has been inspired by the Silent Hill franchise. In fact, even some elements are very reminiscent of Silent Hill. For example, the soundeffect that plays when you grab an item, or the static noise you hear in the vicinity of a monster, are all similar to the techniques used in the Silent Hill franchise.

However, does this mean that it is a bad thing, a rip-off perhaps? Well, absolutely not. There is a huge difference between an inspiration and a rip-off. Rip-offs are usually bad and feel tacky when compared to the original source, however, inspirations build up upon what makes the originals so great and takes it in a whole new direction and fortunately, in this case, Lone Survivor does just that! Everything about this game is scary and stressing, and it doesn’t matter if it is due to the depressing, but interesting storyline or the survival mechanics and design, the game just grips you from the start and has you exploring the hellish world till the end.

You basically control the main guy , and have to explore and find key items to not only survive, but also progress in this game. For example, over time, or after a lot of injury, the main guy will start getting dizzy due to hunger. To help him with that, you will have to find food and water, to replenish his energy. If you don’t or if you just forget, the protagonist will keep reminding you about it through dialogue texts, emphasizing on the survival aspect. You shouldn’t worry too much about it though, as it will take a considerable amount of time for you to pass out from hunger, so it isn’t really an annoying or difficult feature. Another thing you can’t go long without is sleep, because the main character starts getting weak and annoyed due to it. After you sleep on your bed, not only will you progress on to another day, but you will also save your game. It is a very simple, but effective save mechanic.

Furthermore, you will find mirrors all around the world, and if you look into them, you will be transported back to your apartment room where you can lie in your bed and fall asleep. You can then go back to your apartment mirror to travel back to the place you last came from. It not only saves time, but also stops the game from getting frustrating. The places you need to go to, or can’t go to, get marked on your map similar to Silent Hill. However, you have to find the map for each area first, before you can use it. Now some of you might actually face problems with the map reading, seeing as how the game is 2D, but the map is a top-view. It will confuse you for a while, but you should hopefully get used to it soon.

One small, but interesting detail I noticed in this game was related to the map reading. Similar to Silent Hill, if you open your map in a dim area, the map will appear dark, but if you open it under a light source, or with your flashlight on, it will appear bright and clear. It is a very realistic detail, and adds depth to the game. Speaking of light source, most of the game is really dark and you will have to rely on the map or your flashlight to guide you through the maze like environments. Beware though, as using the flashlight constantly, will not only cause it to run out of battery (which you can find extra batteries located throughout the game), but will in fact, also attract monsters towards you. So you have to be careful when using it in the vicinity of the enemy.

Now the monsters in this game are absolutely unpredictable and ruthless. If they spot you, they will not refrain from hunting you until you are dead, and it won’t take much to kill you. However, you can attack the monsters with your gun, but you don’t always have to use it. At times, there will be these hiding spots you can slip into, while the monsters go past you, unaware of your presence. If they aren’t really at a place where hiding will be advantageous to you, you can lure them with pieces of meat, of which you can only carry six at a time. So, if you play carefully, and think about what to do, you can see yourself getting out of sticky situations without bloodshed. Even after that, you might want to keep your gun ready, especially when monsters appear to be blocking your way. After dealing with some of those, you might gain access to a room with supplies or just create some breathing space. Just remember though, that the monsters can be unpredictable, so be careful. I won’t tell you exactly how, as it will spoil your experience.

Coming back to the story, depending on how you play the game, and maintain your character’s health, you will get one of the several endings. There are even some new ones here compared to the vanilla version, because it is the director’s cut after all, so be sure to replay the game in different ways for the full experience as the endings are all worth it, and give a different outlook to the events. Throughout the game you will also find these pills that will each have a different attribute. Like for example, Red pills reduce the need for sleep, while blue and green pills are to be taken before sleeping. After you take the blue pills and sleep, you will see a man calling himself the director in your dream, while the green pill will cause you to visit The Man Who Wears A Box. The conversations with these men are both confusing and revealing at times, but definitely interesting so be sure not to miss them out.

About the controls, the game has no hiccups whether you are playing on the PS3 or the PS Vita. They both control in a similar way, with your analogue or D-Pad for movement, L button for quick inventory selection, R for readying your gun and the face buttons for interaction, flashlight, map and inventory. It is also easy to upload your save files to the Cloud using the select button, so you can easily switch between platforms, especially considering that it is Cross-Buy.

Lastly, lets talk about the games ambiance and music. The music to this game is very similar to that of Silent Hill , with the themes that are beautiful, yet depressing, and the ambient effects, that are scary due to their industrial sounding nature. The audio work creates a very disturbing, but unique atmosphere that is in equal parts helped by the grotesque and unsettling nature of the level design. So, nothing feels out of place and works well in context with one other.

All in all, Lone Survivor is one of the best survival horror games I have played, and is one that should be experienced for what it is worth. Throughout my time with the game, I didn’t find a single disappointment, but was instead always on the edge of my bed, especially when I was lying down, and playing it at night with the headphones on and the lights turned off. If you are a horror fanatic or Silent Hill fan like me, be sure to play this game, as the atmosphere and storyline are really interesting. Furthermore, due to the portable nature of the PS Vita , being able to bring it to bed with you at night, is absolutely amazing. To top it all off, you get two versions for the price of one.

Inspired by Silent Hill, this game takes everything that made that franchise great and builds upon it, providing you with an experience that you won’t soon forget.