Inmost Switch Review – An Unnerving Pixel World

Inmost is an atmospheric adventure that follows three protagonists through a gloomy world shrouded in mystery. Only small details are given about said world, so the majority of the player’s understanding of the lore will have to be pieced together through NPC dialogue, the short, eerie cutscenes, and their own personal interpretation of the game. Inmost is short, lasting only around three to four hours. I see that as a pretty smart developing choice, as it keeps the game from reusing old ideas, and allows it to be played in one sitting, which I think provides the best experience.

So is Inmost one of those titles you need to check out? Or is this one easier to swallow on a sale?

I mentioned, in Inmost you will be taking control of three completely different protagonists, all existing in the same world. The man makes up most of your gameplay time. When controlling him, you’ll find yourself focused on solving puzzles and exploring the strange ruined castle you’re trapped inside.

The girl lives in an abnormal and tense household, and most of her story is told through the imaginary conversations she holds with her toy rabbit. You spend her time moving around household objects and furniture in order to explore new parts of the house and find objects hidden there, a mechanic that can occasionally get a bit repetitive but still fits well with the story.

Finally there is the knight, who plays very differently to the other two characters. Instead of solving puzzles, the knight uses swift dashes and swings of his sword to combat a darkness that manifests itself as rat-like monsters.

Character-switching mechanics are one of my favourite things to see in video games, no matter the genre, so Inmost was really fun to play in that aspect. Piecing together how each character was existing in this world, despite their drastically different circumstanced, is a joy. These three different pacings shine out as a fantastic example of the developers skill in creating, essentially, three different games that still fit together wonderfully.

Visually Inmost was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Although the pixel art detail is phenomenal in the backgrounds and character design, I felt the use of colour was a little drab in most cases. I can see how it fits the sombre mood of the game, but I just felt it was a little uninspiring.

At more cinematic points in the game, hues of green and red bleed into the game, adding some really beautiful visual flare to the mix, but I wish they’d been a little more consistently present. In terms of sound, though, this game offers a fantastic score. It swells at dramatic points of the experience and just works in this game magnificently. Sounds of rain and wind are constant throughout the game, adding mood to the setting. There’s also nice voice acting in the cutscenes.

All in all, Inmost is a fantastic and short experience that I’d definitely take the time to play again. Although it can feel a little repetitive in some ares and the colours can sometimes be a little grey, the game more than makes up for it with enticing lore and pacing. It’s sombre tone creates a unique experience that’s instantly recognisable and a joy to play.

Inmost Switch Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: Chucklefish
Developer: Hidden Layer Games
Release Date: October 21st, 2020
Price: $14.99, €12.99, £11.99
Game Size: 1177 MB