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Chasing Static

Chasing Static is let down some by overused narrative tropes and a short length, but strong world design and enjoyable pacing help make it worth a playthrough.
77%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
grinding, replayability
90% User Score Based on 366 reviews
Critic Score 62%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchXbox OneXbox OneSteam DeckSteam Deck
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About

"Chasing Static" is a narrative adventure game inspired by 80s Sci-Fi horror and contemporary surrealist cinema. After a harrowing experience in a roadside café, you explore the wilds of rural Wales, uncovering a mysterious facility and searching for missing villagers. Utilize a sonic exploration mechanic with an experimental device to hunt anomalies through lo-fi, PS1-style visuals and full voice acting.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
Chasing Static screenshot
+1

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 375 reviews
story102 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • Chasing Static features a captivating atmosphere with retro PS1-style graphics that enhance the eerie experience.
  • The sound design and voice acting are exceptional, contributing significantly to the game's immersive storytelling.
  • The game offers an intriguing narrative that unfolds through environmental storytelling and flashbacks, keeping players engaged throughout.
  • The gameplay can feel repetitive, with some players finding the backtracking tedious and the puzzles too simplistic.
  • The story leaves many questions unanswered, which may frustrate players looking for a more conclusive narrative.
  • Some technical issues, such as bugs and sound glitches, can detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    258 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Chasing Static* is a blend of psychological thriller and sci-fi horror, featuring an intriguing narrative that unfolds through environmental storytelling and "echo" flashbacks. While the atmosphere and sound design are praised for enhancing the experience, some players find the plot convoluted and the character development lacking, leading to mixed feelings about the overall execution and ending. Despite its shortcomings, many reviewers appreciate the game's ability to engage players with its mysterious and haunting storyline, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven horror games.

    • “The story is pretty interesting and gets you hooked; visuals and audio are great, and it has multiple endings.”
    • “The plot unfolds through clever environmental storytelling and voice recordings, ensuring you're always on edge, eager to uncover the next piece of the puzzle.”
    • “Chasing Static does such a great job with setting up its story and building its atmosphere, and this is a dev 100% worth supporting, so you should absolutely add this game to your collection.”
    • “Story-wise, to say it's uninspired would be an understatement.”
    • “The ending was a little abrupt, and I wished for more story.”
    • “The story feels very much like an episode of X-Files with some aspects of Stranger Things season 1 added in later on.”
  • atmosphere
    193 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its chilling, immersive quality, enhanced by retro graphics and excellent sound design that evoke a sense of dread and mystery. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to create tension without relying on jump scares, making it a compelling experience for fans of atmospheric horror and narrative-driven gameplay. Overall, the combination of its eerie visuals, haunting soundtrack, and engaging storytelling contributes to a deeply atmospheric experience that captivates players throughout.

    • “The low-poly graphics and muted color palette work in the game’s favor, creating an atmosphere that’s both unsettling and intriguing.”
    • “Chasing Static oozes a thick atmosphere of mystery that will keep you on your toes for the entirety of the game.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredible, and the story so far is intriguing as hell.”
    • “The atmosphere is also pretty nullified by the gimmick of the game, the scanning device, which when used mutes background sounds.”
    • “There is a solid effort to build up atmosphere, but some effects feel so overused over the game's relatively short runtime, and provide so little payoff, that it comes off as trying a little bit too hard.”
    • “While this game is definitely something that you could classify as horror, it uses the atmosphere of its setting to bring chills.”
  • graphics
    125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their retro, PS1-inspired aesthetic, which effectively creates a nostalgic and eerie atmosphere reminiscent of classic horror titles. While some reviewers note that the visuals may not be groundbreaking, they are described as charming and well-executed, enhancing the overall experience with a strong sense of immersion. The combination of low-poly graphics, muted color palettes, and effective sound design contributes significantly to the game's haunting ambiance, making it a standout in the low-fi horror genre.

    • “Visually, the game embraces a retro, PS1-inspired aesthetic that feels both nostalgic and fresh.”
    • “The graphics were pretty good; it's done in the style of classic PS1 games like Silent Hill. I found it pretty charming and detailed, with diverse levels that include spooky locations.”
    • “The graphics, videography, and soundtracks merge beautifully together to create a wonderful horror-fueled visual soundscape.”
    • “The graphical fidelity seems like it's hiding something from you with its old school look, as opposed to charming you with nostalgia.”
    • “Not a fan of the art style - I never played a PS1 game, so I have zero nostalgia for it, so the game wouldn't win me over with visuals.”
    • “Though horror is subjective, this game really did not at any point scare me either outright, or terrorize me with strong visuals, creepy atmosphere, or psychological horrors.”
  • gameplay
    112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Chasing Static" is characterized as a blend of walking simulator and light puzzle mechanics, featuring a unique echo-location device that enhances exploration and immersion. While the atmosphere and visuals are praised, many players find the gameplay to be simplistic and at times tedious, with some mechanics feeling underutilized or clunky. Overall, the game offers an engaging experience for fans of narrative-driven exploration, but it lacks depth and variety in gameplay elements, leading to mixed reviews on its execution.

    • “The use of binaural audio not only enhances the immersion but also plays a crucial role in the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay loop itself is quite fun and leads me to the sound design which I think is phenomenal.”
    • “The gameplay is super smooth and easy, so this game is also great for beginners or noobs (like me!).”
    • “The gameplay is very simple and the game is short, and in terms of horror, there is actually very little happening, but taking in the atmosphere and exploring the environment is pretty good on its own.”
    • “The gameplay itself is similarly uninspiring, which is a shame because the elements of using the audio could have been much better utilized; instead, it's a mostly drab walking sim with some very basic puzzle elements thrown in as window dressing.”
    • “The main mechanic of finding echoes (ghostly flashbacks stuck in an area) is quite clunky, requiring two button presses to bring up the instruments used to find them, while both 'E' and left-click un-equip it, so whenever you want to interact with something, you'll have to bring the instruments back up manually afterwards.”
  • music
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create a chilling and immersive atmosphere, effectively complementing the haunting visuals and narrative. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's eerie and ambient qualities, with many noting its resemblance to classic horror soundtracks while also carving out a unique identity. Overall, the combination of exceptional sound design, voice acting, and music significantly enhances the game's emotional impact and engagement.

    • “The soundtrack, sparse but effective, perfectly complements the haunting visuals and narrative.”
    • “The music, visuals, and atmosphere are all really good and perfectly capture that creepy PS1 era vibe.”
    • “The music was amazing and perfect for the areas throughout the game.”
    • “Unfortunately, while using it you won't be able to hear the ambience or music as well as I'd like to because it becomes muffled.”
    • “This is the part where I'd normally cover sound and music, but for me the game came accompanied with what I can only think of as bugs and missing sound effects.”
    • “The graphics are so nostalgic, the music is so creepy that adds a feeling in the game like someone is constantly watching you.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Chasing Static effectively combines psychological thriller elements with sci-fi horror, creating a compelling atmosphere that evokes strong emotions, particularly through its voice acting and story. While some character relationships and emotional depth may feel underdeveloped, the game's immersive experience and well-executed spookiness resonate with players, leading to a poignant and memorable conclusion. Overall, it successfully elicits feelings of unease and curiosity, enhancing the emotional impact of the narrative.

    • “Best 3 hours game where you could be invested in the story and voiced as well the spookiness was on a perfect level with the vibe and atmosphere of the game also got a good ending I cried.”
    • “The entire experience made me feel like I did not belong in this place and I wanted to escape, but curiosity kept getting the better of me.”
    • “The whole atmosphere made me feel like something bad was going to happen which is perfect for a horror game.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, with many expressing frustration over the repetitive backtracking and slow-paced gameplay. While some appreciate the graphics and voice acting, the need for extensive grinding, especially for extra endings and collectibles, detracts from the overall experience. However, the introduction of a teleportation system does help alleviate some of the travel-related tedium.

    • “The start was extremely promising; I really like the graphics and the voice acting, but the gameplay is just too tedious and slow.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Here's my issue: the walking sim part is great, but if you try for the extra ending, it gets tedious.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability due to its short length, but the presence of multiple endings (four in total) provides some incentive for players to revisit it. While it may not be highly replayable, completionists may find value in exploring all possible outcomes. Overall, it strikes a balance between brevity and replay potential.

    • “There are several ending outcomes, leaving you with some replay value for an otherwise short game.”
    • “The length of the game is a bit of a downside, but it has 4 different endings you can seek out, which lends itself to the replayability.”
    • “Great value for your time and even some decent replayability for completionists to boot.”
    • “It's quite short, and not very replayable.”
    • “The length of the game is a bit of a downside, but the game has 4 different endings you can seek out, which lends itself to the replayability.”
    • “There are several ending outcomes leaving you with some replay value for an otherwise short game.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is highly praised, with players reporting smooth technical performance, including the ability to achieve 4K at 60fps on mid-range hardware like the GTX 1660. This seamless experience enhances the gripping narrative and captivating mystery, making it a strong recommendation for gamers.

    • “The marriage of gripping narrative, captivating mystery, and seamless technical performance makes it not just a game but an absolute recommendation for any avid gamer seeking a thrilling adventure.”
    • “I also got pretty good performance -- I was able to get 4K@60fps on my GTX 1660, which has not been the case with some other lo-fi style games I've played.”
    • “Really solid performances from all the voice talent as well.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches that prevent items and echoes from spawning, as well as regular freezes. Players have reported needing to reload older saves and even restart the story due to these problems, which can disrupt the overall experience.

    • “Even with that in mind, I had a hell of a time with glitches in this game: certain items and echoes wouldn't spawn sometimes (even if I completed it in the same order), so I had to reload an older save after exiting the game completely and getting back on. I had to restart the story once or twice due to the ghosts; a normal playthrough may take 2 hours if that.”
    • “Stuff like that frustrated me and took me out of the loop. If I'm wrong about the glitches, feel free to beat me up, but it still pissed me off a bit.”
    • “The game is glitchy and freezes regularly.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by unexpected moments, such as a comical jump scare involving a sneeze in an abandoned town and amusing glitches, like a stuck sheep, which add a lighthearted touch to the experience. Overall, players find these humorous elements to be memorable and entertaining.

    • “There’s also a really funny jump scare that absolutely ended me: in the supposedly abandoned town of Hearth, you’re just walking the streets searching for echoes when someone sneezes.”
    • “Personally, I only encountered a tiny audio bug that was easily fixed with a new load, and a stuck sheep that was in its own way more hilarious than anything else.”

62%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews

Buy Chasing Static

3h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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