Hydra - Poseidon's conspiracy

Hydra - Poseidon’s Conspiracy is the “survival horror lite” game from Acid Arrow Studio. Their first game, The Order of the Snake Scale, was a unique and strange dystopian detective game with survival horror mechanics. Hydra feels very similar, but with a tighter pace and refined mechanics.

Like the prior game, it allows you to switch between a third person isometric perspective and a first person view. But it is much smoother and useful here, as it can take up the entire screen (which is a setting that you can adjust) and has an investigative filter which highlights interactive elements in the environment and reveals clues for puzzles.

The gameplay is essentially what you’d expect from a survival horror game - inventory management, a large interconnected map, puzzles, combat, and backtracking to explore previously inaccessible areas. I really enjoyed the puzzles in this one, as many perfectly challenged without feeling illogical. The combat is great too, as you get a few weapons to choose from and a melee option when ammo is low.

The developer has just honed in their unique world building and puzzle design here, and I found it to be a smoother and snappier experience than the previous title. While it’s not the scariest game in the genre (and i wish there was a map!), it has a unique Cthulhu horror feel and definitely scratched the survival horror itch. I highly recommend it for fans of both survival horror and puzzle-heavy games with unique atmosphere and mechanics.