Writings of Mass Deduction

I want to say that indie game “In The Pit” turned the audio-only action game on its head by putting you in the role of the monster at the bottom of the pit, rather than the adventurer trying to slay it, but the truth is that it invented the genre in the first place. That means “Walketh” has the honour of putting the player back in familiar ground: that of the adventurer slaying monsters, finding treasure, etc.

For those not familiar with its predecessor, Walketh actually has virtually no graphics at all. You use audio cues (surround sound is a real asset in this genre!) and controller vibration as your only clues to what’s going on around you. Bump into a wall and the controller vibrates. Get close to a threat and you can hear it. Bit by bit you establish your surroundings and start exploring. The game takes things one step closer to RPGs, though, by adding upgradeable armour, equippable weapons, and more. Each time you play the monsters and items are randomly seeded around the dungeon so no two plays are the same. An easy 80 Microsoft Point recommendation for people who like experimentative games.

Here’s what the developer (PlayItLoud) has to say about the game:

“You have awoken deep inside a pitch dark dungeon. Use your sense of sound to navigate the darkness avoiding traps, fighting demons, and uncovering treasures.”