Try as Mirror Forge might, it never reaches the ambition it establishes in the opening moments. Generic and stock-standard horror storytelling provides beats you’ve mostly seen before, leaving players going through the motions. Uninspired and funky-looking characters and monster designs rip away the mystique the game offers. There are some eerie environments, with pulsating fleshy walls amid harsh industrial complexes that feel incredibly Silent Hill. That should be praised as such. However, at the end of the day, Mirror Forge is an unfortunate case of missed potential and raising scope too high. Neither remarkable nor an offensive entry to the horror genre, you might as well let this one pass you by.

Mirror Forge will creep you out and make you uncomfortable with its superb Silent Hill inspired environments. The gameplay is unthreatening and the story is predictable, but there’s something about this indie horror game that’ll have you soaking in its grim and disgusting dimension-hopping universe.

Mirror Forge is a little indie horror joint with a lot of heart and a lot of glitches... but that's not really a deal-breaker for me. It's one of those scrappy super-indie titles whose charm is actually kinda amplified by its rough edges. The developer's love for Silent Hill, Eternal Darkness, and Stranger Things is apparent as our trauma-laden protagonist wanders through bloody hallways with ancient secrets, told to us via somewhat goofy voice acting. Cliché stuff, yes, but I can't help but enjoy that this is a game that knows what it is - an ambitious, mishmashed, indulgent homage to some really great things. A solo developer stretching their legs and seeing what they can pull off. A janky, but entertaining time. [Quick Look]