By Winona Young
The range of emotions I experienced when playing the newest chapter of Bendy and the Ink Machine (BATIM) went from excitement, paranoia, and fear to confusion, frustration, and outright annoyance. This newest instalment delivers a chapter with lacklustre plot, stunning visuals and designs, and frustrating gameplay.
BATIM is a survival horror game wherein the player, Henry, tries to explore and survive in an abandoned animation studio where he is tormented by inky cartoon demons and more. In this instalment, Colossal Wonders, we take off from where last chapter’s major cliffhanger was set.
The game begins on a high note. The player is propelled into a rescue mission, starting out afraid and alone as they explore the eerily deserted undergrounds. In this chapter of BATIM, the developers best showcase their knack for creative storytelling with chilling character designs, well-done voice acting, and meticulously detailed worldbuilding. Another selling point of BATIM as a horror game is its intrigue and mystery.
However, when the “gaming” aspect of BATIM is fully introduced, the fun is all but extinguished. My friend commented that while he felt that the visuals and cutscenes were quite rewarding, the game itself was a chore to get through. “It’s not fun, it’s frustrating,” he said.
BATIM has never had a set style of gameplay in place. It has survived so far on its many puzzles, fetch quests, and rudimentary combat games. This chapter in particular introduced an array of new mini games, from carnival-esque shooting games all the way to stealth missions. While all were diverse in their own right, the gameplay overall was poorly designed, had shoddy controls, and was difficult to navigate. The design is unpolished and disjointed, leaving the player feeling confused as hell.
Colossal Wonders would be a more enjoyable experience if the player already knew how to navigate the confusing gameplay and controls. A second run through would allow players to focus on visuals and details, but I would assume the frustrating gameplay would ward away any fan from returning to the game.
As a standalone chapter, Colossal Wonders is by far the weakest chapter of the entire series so far. However, BATIM overall still provides an immersive and intriguing horror game that is definitely worth playing. I would recommend that new players wait until the final chapter is released to play, though, given that this chapter will leave a sour, disappointing taste in their mouth.
All four of the Bendy and the Ink Machine games are available on Steam.
