Claire: Extended Cut is a pixelated survival 2D horror game from Hailstorm Games. If you have played Lone Survivor you will enjoy this game as Hailstorm Games clearly has taken some inspirations from the game. Since Claire: Extended Cut is a very story-driven horror game you’re probably wondering how good it is, and if the story will keep you entertained until the end. Come read our Claire: Extended Cut review to find out!
You play as Claire, the main protagonist in the game. Claire is a very troubled teenager who has to care for her mother who is currently in the hospital. There are other locations to explore as well, such as the school and Claire’s home. Claire suffers from bad nightmares that blend in with the strange visions she has while she is awake. As she explores the hospital completing story objectives, players will witness monsters patrolling the empty corridors. Your ultimate goal is to survive and escape her nightmare. The story shifts between past and present which will give you an insight into Claire’s mind as well as her personal life.
One night Claire went to the canteen for a coffee, and things really did go bump in the night! She sees dark entities, and weird stuff around her – things that are real to her that no-one but only her sees. We all go through rough patches in our lives, so we all have experienced even if a tiny bit of sadness, just like Claire.
During gameplay, you will be trying to maintain your health while avoiding enemies. Depending on the difficulty you choose, you will need to make sure Claire doesn’t panic as that can also lower her health. On the easiest setting panic doesn’t harm Claire, but choosing the higher settings does, so choose wisely!
You will be unlocking story based events in order to progress in the game, so be sure to pay attention to what is going on, because you’ll need to solve some puzzles here and there. Many rooms are blocked or locked so you will be spending a good chunk of your time trying to discover new paths. It is wise to remember the layouts and which doors and exits you use so you don’t get lost. You can check your in game map with the L1 button if you don’t know where to go, and I suggest you use it frequently.
The puzzles are not easy at all and do require a bit of out of the box thinking… but completing the puzzles is a necessity. There are hints, sure, but I felt they don’t really help that much. There is little hand-holding in Clare: Extended Cut, so you are required to learn and play the game by yourself.
Now trophy hunters brace yourselves…..the game has a shiny Platinum! On top of that, there is not a single Bronze trophy in sight, and it even has more Gold trophies than Silver ones. However, you will need to play the game multiple times to get all endings, but the good news is the game is only around 4 hours so you could earn yourself another platinum in a couple of days or so.
The art style is similar to that of Lone Survivor, so if you have played and loved that game, you will love Claire: Extended Cut. They also share a creepy atmosphere, and a theme of loneliness. Having played both games, I would say Claire: Extended Cut is probably slightly creepier and scarier than Lone Survivor, but both are great games. I greatly enjoyed playing the game for my Claire: Extended Cut review, and I can easily recommend this one for you.
Disclaimer
This Claire: Extended Cut review is based on a PS4 copy provided by Hailstorm Games
