Kwaidan is an incredibly unique and niche survival horror game I recently stumbled on. It simultaneously feels like an authentic PS2 Japanese Survival Horror game, while also having its own twist that is… kind of genius.

The game is pretty dang fun and impressive. The main mechanic that I’ve never seen before has to do with the controls - while on one hand you are playing a standard survival horror game, you are also using a point and click interface to interact with the world at any given moment. It controls differently on K+M vs controller, but in my case I was using the right analog stick to always have a cursor on screen to interact with things like a point and click game.

It sounds clunky but it’s surprisingly smooth. The game also has other unique things - one of the main puzzles requires you to switch into first person view to find 12 hidden clues in the manor. So it’s just a hodgepodge of unique mechanics overlaying a really solidly designed survival horror game.

The combat is also unique, as it is all melee and requires you to switch between 3 weapons - each one specific to a height. So either you’re aiming up, down, or straight. The puzzles are standard but really well done. The rest is as you’d expect - inventory management, limited saves, fixed cameras, etc.

My only real complaint is the length vs price - it took me 4-5 hours, but it’s priced at $25. But everything else is really spot on and just so unique I can’t help but sing its praise. If this retro throwback with a modern twist interests you - wait for a sale, but definitely grab it.