The Glass Staircase

Easily stands amongst the classic games that inspired it while simultaneously paying homage to them.

Overall, I enjoyed Puppet Combo’s latest horror installment. It started slowly, then escalated to full nonstop combat. The characters were intriguing, as was the backstory that drove the narrative forward. I enjoyed learning about the downfall of Dr. Edward Sullivan through all the pages obtained in the house, as it gave it a very Alan Wake vibe. My only issue with the game was the aiming mechanism. In ’90s games, when they often utilized fixed camera angles, the auto-aim would automatically lock on. Unlike in this instance, it aimed straight ahead and then had to be manually maneuvered to where I wanted to shoot. If ’90s aesthetics are the goal, then I believe that only one aspect of retro gaming gameplay should be implemented to not overwhelm the player with all the non-intuitive controls that annoyed us when we played these games when we were younger.

Inspired by horror classics such as Silent Hill 2 and Eternal Darkness, The Glass Staircase is Puppet Combo's most ambitious release yet. This surreal and atmospheric experience will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of its brief playing time, though checkpointing and aiming issues may frustrate a little.