Than Trung - The Death Review
Upon approaching "Thần Trùng," I didn't have high expectations, considering it's a low-budget indie game developed by the relatively inexperienced DUT Studio. After completing the game, I walked away from my computer with few lingering emotions. This title isn't particularly captivating, but it also doesn't descend into the realm of detestable. Its existence seems somewhat inconsequential, serving a purpose for a brief period before potentially fading into obscurity. In the context of the Vietnamese game industry, which is still in its nascent stages compared to the present, games like "7554" or "Hoa" have been focal points in the past but eventually disappeared, an inevitable fate because they didn't leave a lasting impression. "Thần Trùng" might just join the club of forgotten indie games.
"Thần Trùng" offers a middling horror experience. Everything feels rather pedestrian, and two hours pass by so swiftly that there's almost nothing left to remember. To describe the experience accurately, I would choose the term "unfilled bread" – it satisfies your hunger but lacks the flavor.
In many ways, "Thần Trùng" seems to have elements that could make it a promising indie horror experience. However, its level design, voice acting, and audiovisuals hinder its potential. Considering its low price point of 75,000 Vietnamese Dong, it's difficult to demand more. The question isn't so much about the financial investment but rather the time. Is it worth the average two-hour playtime? I believe that question largely depends on your emotional state at the time.
The narrative backdrop of "Thần Trùng" is actually quite intriguing, revolving around a tragedy that claims the lives of several family members in mysterious circumstances. A notorious ghostly girl haunts a house in Trần Duy Hưng alley. The story delves into various relationships like those between parents and children, spouses, the impoverished, and the wealthy.
One positive aspect is its direct connection to Vietnamese culture, as DUT Studio opted for a setting that is relatively familiar to Vietnamese society instead of a Westernized one, as seen in "Hoa" by Skrollcat Studio. However, Skrollcat aimed for a global audience due to their aspirations, whereas "Thần Trùng" is just a Vietnamese indie game, independently developed and published by the studio, which means there won't be any particular interference in production from third-party publishers.
Returning to the storyline, choosing a setting with some degree of relatability for Vietnamese players is a plus, but it's constructed somewhat hastily and predictably. The game lacks plot twists to surprise players. Most of the information is revealed through flashbacks as players progress through the game.
A drawback is that even though players are given hints and can make educated guesses about what might happen, the game's ending doesn't satisfactorily address the discoveries made. Details are explained cursorily at the end, diminishing the value of the clues players sought throughout the game. It's as if we knew this family faced a tragedy through gameplay, but by the end, we're left with a conclusion that's just "it happened." Therefore, after I completed the game, I thought, "That's it?"
Aside from the family's unfortunate fate, the main character's development isn't much better. It seems illogical and more for the sake of amusement than serious investment in character development. For instance, he continues to rent a ramshackle apartment despite not lacking money, and despite warnings from neighbors about inauspicious events, he disregards them. These are entirely plot conveniences that lack credibility.
The game's storyline might have fared better if the main character were an ordinary, unremarkable character tasked with uncovering the truth. This would make his presence more relatable, especially in understated, colorless indie horror games where players are primarily interested in the eerie and spooky elements rather than the protagonist. However, the character's well-to-do background makes his existence somewhat contrived and clashes with the game's dark and gloomy atmosphere.
In summary, the game's story has potential, but DUT Studio undermines it with questionable narrative design decisions. Even for a low-budget indie game, there were better choices to be made. Unfortunately, "Thần Trùng" falls short of delivering these possibilities.
In completing the game within 2 hours, we shouldn't expect the gameplay of "Thần Trùng" to be particularly engaging. As a walking simulator type of game, I don't really have an issue with the character's movement speed; it's quite okay and not bothersome. In fact, the slow pace can add to the tension, especially when you're afraid of ghosts.
Furthermore, the puzzle segments, while technically limited, have some rare bright spots. For example, there's a puzzle where you have to stack Hanoi Towers or arrange Dong Ho paintings, which are relatable to life in Vietnam.
However, what disappointed me the most was the use of keys in the game. "Thần Trùng" often employs the design of giving players items like keys to unlock new areas, which is a common approach in many games to allow players to explore more later on.
But in this game, it's executed in a rather annoying way. I understand that the house is locked with multiple rooms that require keys, but there are often multiple ways to access those rooms without needing keys. Especially when the game demands that we uncover the truth and aims for a realistic touch, I didn't appreciate the repetitive nature of problem-solving.
While other games use keys as a means for players to unlock new spaces, you can usually expect those spaces to be large and distinct enough to make the key's importance meaningful. However, in the tight urban setting of Vietnam where there's not much to explore, the act of passing keys from one object to another feels somewhat comical and uncomfortable. It made me realize that what I was searching for in the game wasn't necessarily objects related to the storyline but rather keys.
Fundamentally, the game is linear and employs trial and error gameplay mechanics where players must perform actions correctly. This isn't necessarily bad game design, but it doesn't leave a particularly memorable experience. Even if you end up with an undesired outcome, you're unlikely to invest another 2 hours just to replay and explore different endings.
The gameplay and storyline of "Thần Trùng" can't be expected to be too complex given its status as a low-budget indie game. However, there are several issues in the game's overall experience that can't be overlooked.
First, being a PC game designed for keyboard and mouse controls only, "Thần Trùng" lacks respect for this control scheme. The button layout is somewhat awkward and inconvenient, with inventory and documents bound to keys far from the WASD movement keys. This often required me to take my hand off the mouse to press those keys, disrupting the overall gameplay flow. The lack of an option to customize button mapping added to the frustration, as players were forced to adhere to DUT Studio's design choices.
These issues are minimal requirements in game design, even for an indie game, and shouldn't be ignored. Additionally, the game's settings menu can't be accessed during gameplay; you have to exit to the title screen, which is inconvenient and perplexing. This is a basic oversight in game design, making it difficult to adjust brightness, graphics, resolution, or even recall button mappings without exiting the game.
"Hoa," another Vietnamese game, also lacks button customization, but its button mapping is logical. Moreover, it allows settings adjustments during gameplay and supports game controllers. Considering that "Thần Trùng" was released a year after "Hoa," it's hard to accept that it didn't learn from these issues, which is perhaps the biggest flaw of the game.
Regarding graphics, "Thần Trùng" is an indie game, so we shouldn't expect outstanding visuals. However, some segments deserve praise for their relatively artistic and well-crafted designs, like the scene in the university lecture hall. It's rare to see such beautifully designed segments in a Vietnamese or even indie game, and I was pleasantly surprised when I encountered them. This is a standout feature in the game.
However, the audio is a major letdown. The voice acting is subpar, which is somewhat expected in an indie game, so I won't dwell on the quality of the voice acting or the emotional delivery. What I found irritating about the audio was the inconsistency in sound levels. During dialogues, one character could sound like they were speaking right in front of you, while another character just a few meters away sounded like they were whispering in your ear. It felt like the voice recordings were inconsistent and not well-integrated, resulting in a disjointed listening experience.
In conclusion, while "Thần Trùng" carries the label of an indie game with a very low price point, basic issues in game design shouldn't be ignored because they directly affect the player experience. These design choices appear somewhat arbitrary and unpolished, leading to a feeling of disrespect for players' time and investment.
VERDICT
"Thần Trùng" offers a somewhat lackluster horror experience despite its enticingly low price point. The game does have potential, especially in how it incorporates cultural elements related to life in Vietnam, providing a unique cultural context. However, in practice, the game suffers from numerous design flaws that make the experience feel somewhat disjointed and easily forgettable. It's a game that exists without leaving a lasting impact, and if you find yourself with 75,000 VND to spare and simply want a straightforward way to pass the time, then "Thần Trùng" can serve that purpose.
