Simulacra 3 Review

A Harrowing Mystery

A series of missing persons, a found phone and a terrifying mystery await you in Simulacra 3. The new narrative-driven found-phone horror game by Kaigan Games OÜ is the fourth installment in the highly-rated series. Immerse yourself in a harrowing mystery as you uncover the secrets concealed within a missing man’s phone.

Simulacra 3 offers players an immersive paranormal horror experience. The game plays out on a virtual phone belonging to Paul Castillo, a man who recently went missing. You work as an intern at the local paper. The game begins when your journalist co-worker Ruby asks you to investigate Paul’s phone. Paul is just the latest in a long line of missing persons in the town of Stoney Creek. As you progress, you’ll come across videos and other clues that point to the paranormal. Could these disappearances have something to do with the local legend of the Bedlam? It’s your job to find out. Players will quickly find themselves enraptured by the game’s plot as they attempt to unravel the mystery.

Welcome to Atlas

On the phone’s virtual screen, you’ll see icons for a web browser, calls, texts, email, a media gallery and Atlas. While the others are largely self-explanatory, Atlas is a unique program that the missing man placed on his phone as added security. Within the app, you’ll find a map of the town that highlights important locations. To unlock information relating to each site, you’ll need to capture clues as notes when prompted, then connect the note to the proper place in the Atlas app. To capture notes, you’ll need to peruse potential clues and tap the magnifying glass icon when it appears. Unlocking a new location will allow you to view new media, chats and emails where you may find more clues.

Much of your detective work comes from chatting with Ruby and others via text message. Often, you’ll have two or three dialogue options to choose from, so you really feel like you’re in control of the investigation. Additionally, your choices affect the game’s ending, adding to the urgency and replayability of Simulacra 3. Will you attempt to deceive people to get crucial information or take an honest approach? The choice is blissfully yours.

Of course, you’ll also need to search through photos, videos, recordings and internet posts to uncover clues. While some hints are relatively easy to uncover, others present quite a challenge. Simulacra 3 does a great job of balancing difficult and less challenging puzzles to keep gameplay from growing stagnant or, conversely, too tough.

An Inconvenient Save System

I only had one gripe with Simulacra 3 and that’s the save mechanic. The game doesn’t allow you to save manually. Instead, the game saves automatically when you reach a specified checkpoint. This led me to have to repeat steps several times as I didn’t realize the game wasn’t saved when I closed out of the app. In all honesty, it’s not a huge deal; there are much more cumbersome game mechanics out there. However, it did detract from the experience.

Still, Simulacra 3 is an utterly engaging title that’s perfect for fans of the paranormal, horror and mysteries alike. While the save system can be an annoyance, it doesn’t have too much of an impact on your gaming experience. With an engaging plot, distinct characters and fun puzzles to solve, Simulacra 3 is a must-play for those who enjoy unraveling a good mystery.