Hello Neighbor

Pros

• Original idea never before seen in a video game
• Plays into your snooping fantasies of learning more about a weird neighbor
• AI will respond according to you to stop you
• Interactive environment to solve the puzzles
• Maximum replayability with many tactics for breaking into your neighbor's home

Cons

• Consequences of getting caught don't feel dangerous enough

Much like in the films Disturbia and Rear Window, you play "Hello Neighbor" as the hero who spies on his shady neighbor in hopes of discovering something sinister. After taking inspiration from films like "Don't Breathe," Hello Neighbor is a first-person stealth or horror game with the task of breaking into your neighbor's home. You're trying to discover what he has hidden in the basement, and the interesting thing about the game is how you even have different endings depending on your choices. That makes for maximum replayability as you wander through your new neighbor's giant and somewhat cartoonish mansion.

The Gameplay

The basic concept is stealth and not getting caught. You want to lure your creepy neighbor away from the questionable areas of the home through making noises. Like chess, it's a battle of the minds as you try your best to outsmart this neighbor who does not seem to have a good sense of humor. The best part about the game is how almost everything in this sandbox environment can be interacted with. Whether it's taking a box to throw it over a shark pool or grabbing a mannequin, everything in the environment can be touched and played with. In fact, if you're going to solve the mystery of what this shady neighbor is up to, you will have to be snoopy and interact with the environment.

Intelligent AI to Learn Your Best Moves

Snooping on your neighbor in Hello Neighborhood will be easier said than done. The developers even claim the neighbor's AI will be based on how the gamer plays and the tactics used to break into his home. This continually makes the game more challenging because after you get caught, your old route might have a host of surveillance cameras or other security measures to keep you in your place. Another hilarious example of the AI is where gamers continually smash a backyard window to enter the home. After a couple times getting caught, you might enter through the window to find a hungry bear trap below it—game over.

Comical but Intense

The game takes a somewhat exaggerated and cartoon-like style. However, that does not mean it will not feel intense. In fact, in the moments where you get caught, the game feels extraordinarily intensive as you're running through the doors and doing your best to get back home before the neighbor catches you. After you've been caught, all is not lost. Nevertheless, your devious neighbor will now be on high alert, which makes being a snoop and breaking into his basement so much harder. The premise of the game is fairly unique in the world of video games. You have the use of cel-shaded art style over a grittier realism that most horror games tend to shoot for.

Upcoming Horror Game for the PC

Unfortunately, the full game will not be released until the summer of 2017. However, you can still play the demo of the game to decide if this is the type of game to hold your attention. The game also has a lot of similarities to the 1980s film with Tom Hanks called, "The Burbs." What makes this game fun and interesting is how your shady neighbor will go after you if he catches you. You have no way to defend yourself in the game other than by your feet. Don't get caught. The game acts like you are sneaking into the home of a real person, and you have to stay alerted to avoid being captured. You will only win after you have reached your neighbor's basement to uncover his dark and terrible secret.

Guaranteed Replayability

Hello Neighbor has guaranteed replayability because you have a lot of ways to break into your neighbor's home. In addition, the AI analyzes how you did it last time to keep you from using the same tactics to win the game. This is the type of game where you can try multiple methods, and there is more than one way to win the game. It's not a linear game, and thinking out a good strategy can go a long way.

Well-Built with Great Graphics

The game has been built well, and you have a variety of scenarios that can pop up. One of the scariest is when you're in your neighbor's home, and all of a sudden—he sees you. You will desperately try to escape as the rogue neighbor chases you through the halls of his gigantic mansion. The home looks a little decrepit, but it plays on the horror style of the game. Anyone who grew up in the suburbs but later moved to the city will agree that while the suburbs "feel" safer, they often hide more sinister actions beneath the facade of safety. The game preys on the small town fears and builds them up into a heck of a game.

tinyBuild produced the game, and they have stated how Hello Neighbor is one of their most ambitious games to date. As you creep through the doors of his home, be sure to close the doors you came through. If anything looks off, you might alert your nefarious neighbor to your presence, which means you'll be doing a whole lot of running. What's amazing about this game is how tinyBuild has promised gamers more than 10 hours of gameplay where your neighbor will constantly be anticipating your next move. It sounds hard to believe, but it will be interesting to see how the game developers add that much gameplay into the game. You will have to stay smart and think on your feet to get inside your neighbor's basement.

Pros

• Original idea never before seen in a video game
• Plays into your snooping fantasies of learning more about a weird neighbor
• AI will respond according to you to stop you
• Interactive environment to solve the puzzles
• Maximum replayability with many tactics for breaking into your neighbor's home

Cons

• Consequences of getting caught don't feel dangerous enough