When I first spotted Dark Fear, I was immediately entranced by the art style used: it's classic early 90's IBM graphics, like old MS-DOS adventure games. This is super rare: usually these retro-inspired games try to imitate NES, SNES or Genesis; but this game is all about DOS. I can only think of one other indie game that uses this style (but I can't remember what it's called). The game was priced at $1. I read a bit further and realised it was an mobile game, ported to PC. I didn't have high expectations for this, I expected another buggy half-finished game, and a bad port. I was wrong, Dark Fear is surprisingly brilliant.

Dark Fear is reminiscent of old horror adventure games from the DOS era, like The Last Half of Darkness or Shadowgate. You awaken to find yourself in this strange spooky valley, locked in a dark cabin. After solving a couple inventory puzzles you eventually make your way to town and the game systems expand. There you meet a blacksmith and other NPCs from whom you can buy armour, weapons, potions and other goodies. That's what makes this game truly unique: it's a spooky horror adventure, with lots of inventory puzzles but it also has RPG elements and a battle system. You learn of the strange happenings of the valley; demons, ghosts and other creatures are terrorising the local inhabitants and you soon become embroiled in a creepy and fascinating narrative as you make your way through these eerie environments, fighting off monsters, talking to interesting characters, solving complex puzzles with the aim of finding out who you are and how you got there.

The most surprising thing about this game was the level of quality and polish. Don't be fooled by the DOS-inspired appearance, the controls, interface, buttons, interactions and everything work perfectly to create an addictive and engrossing experience. A good comparison might be Undertale orThe Organ Trail: an old-school art style but with a tight interface and all the modern conveniences.

I really felt like I was transported back to the early 90's, my nostalgia glands were off the charts, and I was hooked. The gameplay itself is really addictive and this rpg/puzzle blend works perfectly. You travel around to these sinister locations, solve mysteries, complete quests, fight off any nasties, and then head back to town to level up your gear. Different weapons and items have different effects depending on the creature (for example, werewolves are weak to silver weapons or certain herbs you can find in the forest). And the battling and levelling never becomes a grind because the gameplay changes and instead you're slowly contemplating a puzzle, searching through rooms for items and looking for clues, picking locks, combining items, etc. It's ingenious. You can also go to different areas and hunt the wildlife or collect materials which can be used in town to upgrade your equipment.

One of the key differences between this and a true DOS game is the sound. It has some of the bleeps and bloops of a traditional DOS game, but underneath that there is a genuine fully-orchestrated soundtrack and that really sells the piece. The music is top-notch and accentuates the chilling atmosphere. Another modern touch is the death system: you can't die in this game, instead you just receive a small penalty and wake up, bruised and battered, but you can continue on with your adventure (instead of being kicked to the dos prompt like in the old days).

What more can I say about this game? I really can't think of anything to criticise about it: the game set out with a simple but clever idea and it's executed perfectly. The art/graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay is addictive, the atmosphere is haunting, the story is classic horror; a little cheesy, but totally self-aware and charming. I don't think I've ever had such a surprisingly captivating experience from such a cheap game. I recommend this to anyone who wants a short little lighthearted unique horror experience, but I highly recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for old DOS games.

I was going to give this 4 stars (subtracting a star because it's a short $1 mobile game) but ultimately I've decided I'm giving it a full 5-stars because of the nostalgia factor.