Vanished Review
Price: Free
Version Reviewed: 1.1
App Reviewed on: iPhone 4S
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Vanished drops players straight into an unknown realm, leaving them to fend for themselves against a host of evil beings, guided only by the sounds of the world.
Firstly, Vanished did an excellent job of making me feel like my space was being invaded by incorporating all of the sound effects a horror fan could wish for: glass shattering, creepy chanting, doors creaking, demons wailing, and much, much more. It definitely feels authentic, and had me jumping or recoiling in my seat on more than one occasion (Warning: do not play this game in public, one will look mad). Between 'scenes' a narrator guides the story along, adding a touch of class and foreboding with his suitably rich, baritone voice. As each level begins it's suggested that players close their eyes, which is good advice since the frankly ugly game screen is better left unseen. Thankfully, the visuals have almost nothing to do with Vanished.
Overall, Vanished still manages to create a creepy atmosphere, even if it does occasionally lose direction. With a few tweaks to gameplay, an overhaul of the game screen and menus, and a much more forgiving handling of conflicts it would cement itself as the best horror audio game on the App Store.