Maid of Sker is a first-person horror game produced entirely by Wales Interactive in 2020. A dark adventure takes place at the mysterious Sker Hotel on Sker Island, inspired by the true story of Elizabeth Williams and Welsh folklore.
Story
The plot takes place in 1989. The main character, Thomas Evans, arrives at the Sker Hotel, invited here by his beloved girl. His task is to uncover the secrets of the hotel and the girl's strange family known for torturing people and slavery. Soon, the hotel is taken over by the Quiet Ones, from whom you should carefully hide when exploring the interior of the building. Even the slightest indiscreet sound can lead to a tragedy, and the life of the beloved woman is at stake.
Gameplay
The gameplay revolves around sounds, as any noise can bring down opponents - the sightless but violent Quiet Ones. The player is rather deprived of many possibilities of defense in this situation and the game aims to avoid confrontation with enemies by using the corners of the hotel to hide from them. You will even need to hold your breath because the Quiet Ones are extremely sensitive to the tiniest sounds.
During the game, the player receives a sound device for defense, but it does not change the fact that losing a life is extremely easy here. There is no autosave, and to save the game, you need to go to a special room with a gramophone in there. Activating it shows fragments of Elizabeth and her family's past, and then the game is saved.
Reception
The creators of the Maid of Sker can be really proud of the extremely realistic 3D graphics and a very heavy atmosphere surrounding the entire story. The game received mixed reactions in the gaming community because while it proved to be a good quality horror entertainment with an interesting story, it was often pointed out that empathizing with the main character was a frustrating experience because he simply lacks emotions. Nevertheless, it is a good proposition for fans of the gothic Victorian atmosphere and horror.
Key features
- Sound is the most important element in the game.
- A storyline based on true history and Welsh folklore factors.
- Realistic graphics presented in 3D with the possibility of turning to 4K.
- Psychological Victorian horror set in a dark and heavy atmosphere.
- An engaging story full of secrets learned as the game progresses.
