The Building 71 Incident
review and description
by Dsibe top

The Building 71 Incident is an atmospheric horror adventure game that will send chills down your spine. Developed by Brazilian indie developer Scary Cube, it tells the story of a mysterious university building that was closed down in the late 90s after reports of a gas leak. However, suspicious activity was detected coming from inside during that period.

The game follows an unnamed employee who decided to investigate the strange occurrences by recording video footage inside Building 71. Unfortunately, this person went missing, but portions of their unsettling recordings have now been released to the public as this game experience.

Right from the start, The Building 71 Incident establishes an eerily quiet, creepy vibe as you explore the dark, abandoned corridors of the university building armed with just a camera and flashlight. The low-poly 3D graphics give everything a retro PlayStation 1 feel, but the atmospheric lighting, sound design, and camera effects make the environments incredibly immersive and unsettling.

As you descend deeper into the building's depths, stumbling across disturbing artifacts like ritualistic symbols and mutilated dolls, the sense of dread builds. The game is a psychological horror experience through and through, relying on cues like flickering lights, background noises, and an encroaching sense that you're being watched to ratchet up the tension rather than cheap jump scares.

While there's not much in the way of traditional gameplay, the expert pacing and environmental storytelling will constantly have you on edge, wondering what fresh horror lies around the next corner. The found footage presentation also adds to the authentic found-footage vibe.

On a technical level, The Building 71 Incident runs great providing a smooth experience whether on an aging laptop or modern gaming PC. While the visuals are simple, the atmospheric and moody presentation is excellent, displaying an impressive grasp of working with constraints.

The ambient soundtrack and binaural 3D audio design are particularly noteworthy, instilling a constant feeling of disquiet and unease. Portuguese and English language support with subtitles are included as well.

Overall, while it may be a relatively short experience at around 30 minutes, The Building 71 Incident is an incredibly accomplished and chilling psychological horror title that understands the true essence of the genre - letting your own imagination be the scariest thing. With its gripping atmosphere, understated retro thrills, and mysterious cult overtones, it's a must-play for horror fans. Just be warned - you may start feeling uneasy the next time you look up at the moon after playing...