Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story
Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story is an indie survival horror game released in 2020 for Microsoft Windows and macOS, in 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, and in 2022 for Xbox One. The game features a blend of Chinese folklore and Cyberpunk themes, while drawing gameplay inspiration from the "Fatal Frame" and "Clock Tower" franchises. Gameplay. The world can be explored via pointing and clicking to reveal elements and solve puzzles. The main character has cybernetic ocular implants, which allow for zooming in on important areas for a closer look. Plot. Set  in 2083, Neo Hong Kong, heroine Mei-Lin Mak must explore the ruins of Chong Sing Apartments, discovering the history of its 14 lost souls, as well as her own family's past. Release. The game was released for Windows via Steam August 25, 2020, but temporarily pulled the next day for bug fixes and difficulty tweaks. Controversy. Following the game's release on Switch Top Hat Studios claimed they were getting calls on social media to censor the game, as well as death threats over the game's artstyle, and issued a statement refusing to censor the title. Though  TheGamer questioned whether the statement was instead a manufactured controversy, noting the game received an influx of reviews following the statement, most of which they said were from people who barely played the game, and which contained statements in opposition to "social justice warriors." The Gamer also argued that the art-style present in the game is outdated and that therefore criticism of it is justified. Top Hat Studios responded to the article by "TheGamer", ResetEra, and other venues, addressing the accusations of manufactured controversy by providing screenshots of these threats in a Twitter post. Reception. On Metacritic the Switch  version game holds a 58 rating based on 7 reviews indicating "mixed or average reviews" In a review for the PC version for Noisy Pixel Azario Lopez said the game was " a call back to classic survival horror adventures that seemed to cater so much to the developer’s needs that it left out the most important part: The player" and that " The story will rarely make sense, and the haphazard nature of the puzzle design force many moments of aimless backtracking." While TheSixthAxis was more positive with the Switch version of the game saying "The range of influences shown  helps make what could have been just another horror game feel truly unique." While Cubed3 said in a review of the PC version "fails as an adventure game." While Finger Guns said in a review of the Switch version that "For a game about spirits, Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story is pretty soulless. A by-the-numbers backtracking horror game in the vein of Clock Tower its structure and content feel lackluster and a little disappointing if you went in expecting cyberpunk themes." Despite critics' mixed reception, the game went on to review very positive among both Steam and Metacritic  users, receiving a "very positive" reception from Steam users and a Metacritic score of 8.3 on Metacritic. The game went on to sell well despite a row of controversy, with physical editions of the game selling completely.