NorthBury Grove is a very freaky VHS video nasty styled first person horror adventure that sees you searching for your missing girlfriend in the remnants of a festival where a psycho-killer is on the loose!
In NorthBury Grove you take on the role of Connor, a young man whose friend has gone missing while you and your friends were camping in the woods. It’s quite a remote area but there’s a small festival nearby, a carpark and an old truck yard with a facility in the middle of it – maybe she’s wandered off around there? Soon after starting your search you’ll wish you just curled up in your sleeping bag and went to sleep though…
NorthBury Grove plays out in three acts, with the first seeing you searching the area for clues, the second seeing you exploring a facility that the killer seems to have made his lair and the third seeing you attempting to find your car to escape. The first part of the game does a great job of setting the atmosphere but it’s when you enter the facility that the terror really ramps up.
You’ll need to find three items (bolt-cutters, a fuse and a keycard) to escape the facility, but they’re located in randomized locations each time you play and all the while you need to use stealth to avoid the killer who stalks the halls. The killer instils a real sense of terror thanks to the blood-curdling cries he roars at you and the speed that he chases you. Once you escape the facility you have a better chance of outrunning the killer, but while you’re in there stealth is your best option because if he spots you you’re pretty much dead. Escape the facility and you’ll then have to find your car which is easier said than done…
It’s a great little horror game that enjoys screwing with the player and features a nice mix of stealth, puzzle solving, tension, terror and jump scares. The audio and visual design are particularly impressive, with its grainy VHS video filters and the spine-chilling cries the killer makes as he chases you making for a particularly nerve-wracking experience. A highly recommended slice of video nasty first person horror.
Controls: WASD – Movement, Mouse – Look, LMB – Interact, F – Flashlight, Shift – Sprint, Ctrl – Crouch
Available On: Windows
Gameplay Video: Here