Update: 1/25/26

Just did a hard mode replay. The game is still very good, though I didn’t realize just how short it is! I finished in a little over 5.5 hours. But what’s here is still an absolute blast - great exploration, tense combat, and well made puzzles.

From what it seems, the game did not do very well so the developers are switching genres to try to recoup some money. It is understandable, but a big bummer. Anyone who enjoys survival horror - both classic and modern (since you can play this game over the shoulder and fixed cam) - would love this game. If you haven’t played it, it’s basically Evil Within 3. Go play now!

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I had very low expectation going into Connection. It has basically zero marketing, an extremely low budget and is taking on a monster of a genre to get right. I am a fan of janky low budget survival horror though, such as Nightmare of Decay or Night at The Gates of Hell, so I knew I’d have fun either way.

But what Connection is: a surprisingly competent and sleek little survival horror game with all the charm of the 2002 Resident Evil 1 Remake and Tormented Souls.

The game just nails the puzzles, the set design and atmosphere are great, and the cinematic fixed camera angles are spot on.

It feels very Evil Within inspired - in both name and plot. It’s interesting and done well though… so the games just really took me by surprise.

I would say overall it just barely makes my top 5 for the year in the genre (along with Conscript, Crow Country, Silent Hill 2 remake, and Fear the Spotlight). The final boss fight SUCKED, and it’s definitely a derivative work, but it scratched every itch for me and I’d super recommend it.