Welcome Back Daddy
Welcome Back Daddy (WBD) is a first-person round-based horror title created by independent developer Chilla’s Art. In this title, you explore a vacant home with the goal of discovering the key to unlock the upstairs’ exit, subsequently inducing the following cycle of play. Each stage becomes more difficult with the introduction of diverse enemies and additional locations for the key to spawn. The title is quite functional, but I cannot recommend it for several reasons.
Here are items I found to elicit attention in this title:
Gameplay - You begin play at the front door of a shadowy home, progressing after discovering the key to the door and entering. The second key must be found to unlock the upstairs exit, appearing again just inside the foyer of the structure once more; the start of a journey that is seemingly destined to reoccur. From this second iteration a cry can be heard, the introduction to the game’s first foil. Each enemy may be bested a single way, and experimentation is utilized by the player to discover this means. This acts more on the principal of an intriguing puzzle title with suspense elements, presenting jumpscares to those that fail to evade the antagonists. More of the house becomes available as you play, presenting additional challenges as well as locations for the evasive key. I have witnessed WBD described as ‘difficult but fun,’ yet instead must convey my opinion that it is tedious. //MINOR SPOILER START// For example, the first true rival to appear is that of a pale woman dressed in a black dress-the crying described prior was hers. The player must trigger her ‘chase’ by walking within proximity of her weeping in the upstairs bathroom. She then disappears from view, occasionally humming an indistinct melody. The player must cease movement when the eerie woman pauses her tune lest they be attacked with a stated jumpscare, precipitating the level restarting. \\MINOR SPOILER END\\ Even though the rules for each opponent never falter, I must restate that the play style compels more irritation than enjoyment. Procedural generation of the key’s placement afflicts the experience further, causing hindrance of progress not by skill, but rather by luck. There are also goblinoid figurines spread throughout the dwelling, but they solely allow for the viewing of the ‘true ending’ once all are collected in a single playthrough.
Fear - The most amount of fear I personally experienced in this title was from hearing the crying while reentering the home, but this soon diminished once I was defeated by the first enemy. Welcome Back Daddy relies heavily on jumpscares. Some may find these to be sufficient means to attain suspense from within the player, but when they are expected through repeated exposure the effect diminishes. After playing for a while, I lost all feeling of dread, instead adopting annoyance as the banner sensation.
TL:DR - Though the premise appears to retain intrigue, the primary reason this title is categorized negatively is because of stated reasons, culminating to almost no personal enjoyment while playing WBD even with a high level of enthusiam toward starting the game; it is functional, and has interesting concepts in terms of play, but I personally found it to be tedious and mundane. Horror was the last thing on my mind with repeated sessions of play, and I cannot recommend this title as a puzzle game. I want to say that I am on the fence on this title, but after digesting what I have already played I must voice that I did not have fun with this game, and cannot personally recommend it. Thanks for reading.
Do you feel this review helped in any way? Feel free to visit my Curator Page at Spearpoint Reviews.
Originally posted June 10, 2018.
Here are items I found to elicit attention in this title:
Gameplay - You begin play at the front door of a shadowy home, progressing after discovering the key to the door and entering. The second key must be found to unlock the upstairs exit, appearing again just inside the foyer of the structure once more; the start of a journey that is seemingly destined to reoccur. From this second iteration a cry can be heard, the introduction to the game’s first foil. Each enemy may be bested a single way, and experimentation is utilized by the player to discover this means. This acts more on the principal of an intriguing puzzle title with suspense elements, presenting jumpscares to those that fail to evade the antagonists. More of the house becomes available as you play, presenting additional challenges as well as locations for the evasive key. I have witnessed WBD described as ‘difficult but fun,’ yet instead must convey my opinion that it is tedious. //MINOR SPOILER START// For example, the first true rival to appear is that of a pale woman dressed in a black dress-the crying described prior was hers. The player must trigger her ‘chase’ by walking within proximity of her weeping in the upstairs bathroom. She then disappears from view, occasionally humming an indistinct melody. The player must cease movement when the eerie woman pauses her tune lest they be attacked with a stated jumpscare, precipitating the level restarting. \\MINOR SPOILER END\\ Even though the rules for each opponent never falter, I must restate that the play style compels more irritation than enjoyment. Procedural generation of the key’s placement afflicts the experience further, causing hindrance of progress not by skill, but rather by luck. There are also goblinoid figurines spread throughout the dwelling, but they solely allow for the viewing of the ‘true ending’ once all are collected in a single playthrough.
Fear - The most amount of fear I personally experienced in this title was from hearing the crying while reentering the home, but this soon diminished once I was defeated by the first enemy. Welcome Back Daddy relies heavily on jumpscares. Some may find these to be sufficient means to attain suspense from within the player, but when they are expected through repeated exposure the effect diminishes. After playing for a while, I lost all feeling of dread, instead adopting annoyance as the banner sensation.
TL:DR - Though the premise appears to retain intrigue, the primary reason this title is categorized negatively is because of stated reasons, culminating to almost no personal enjoyment while playing WBD even with a high level of enthusiam toward starting the game; it is functional, and has interesting concepts in terms of play, but I personally found it to be tedious and mundane. Horror was the last thing on my mind with repeated sessions of play, and I cannot recommend this title as a puzzle game. I want to say that I am on the fence on this title, but after digesting what I have already played I must voice that I did not have fun with this game, and cannot personally recommend it. Thanks for reading.
Do you feel this review helped in any way? Feel free to visit my Curator Page at Spearpoint Reviews.
Originally posted June 10, 2018.
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