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The boss encounters at the end of each stage is unique and challenging, which overcomes the shortcomings of the normal enemies. I feel like this could have been balanced out by either reducing the amount of ammo found as the player’s accuracy goes up or have repercussions for using weapons. Accuracy rewards players by saving ammunition, and with so much being given, there isn’t a need to stealth by anything besides the bosses. Headshots are the best way to dispatch foes so long as players keep cool and stay accurate. Even when I found myself running low on ammo, it didn’t deter me, as there was always a nearby pile of bullets that I had left behind just in case.Įnemies only have three variations: a melee, a sniper, and a berzerker type, each only differentiated by their size and hit points.
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However, by the time I obtained firearms, I rushed into the action, barely worrying about resources and obliterating every shadow that wandered in my direction. For starters, combat needs to be avoided, as resources are scarce. Similarly, the gameplay only introduces minor variations as players fumble through each session. Despite the formulaic format, I was enthralled by my time spent on every session. This is a minor complaint but adding that little extra variety helps to up engagement. I would have appreciated slight variations of the formula to differentiate the stories further. This formula keeps the narrative structure that neatly bookends each story and rewards players with a definitive conclusion for each tale. However, there is a formula followed that’s easy to notice once the second recording has begun. Instead, expertly threading the victim’s account so that everything feels cohesive by the end and draws players in naturally. Their issues are relatable while showing how unhinged they are, which is a hard line to walk without forcing exposition down players’ throats. Each story is self-contained as each character had no interactions with the other, leading Desmond to question whether or not he is the cause.Įven though the tapes seemingly have nothing to do with the other, each story pulled me in, and by the end, I felt connected to the characters and this supernatural world. For example, Virginia, the first tape that players tackle, is littered with mirrors, exploring her personal trauma and eventual resolution. The premise of In Sound Mind reveals itself gradually, only sharing enough through his recordings and hints about each person that Desmond treated. All while attempting to figure out what they had in common, besides himself. Now he must dive into the tattered psyches of his former clients. While exploring his surroundings, Desmond discovers that his patients’ homes are in his apartment building, existing in taped sessions between himself and a patient. Although something is wrong, he feels like he is being watched, and it isn’t long until he sees a mysterious entity that torments him. Desmond Wales, a therapist, has been trapped in what appears to be his apartment building.