'MADiSON' Nintendo Switch Impressions
A couple of weeks ago, the physical version of indie first-person horror game MADiSON launched on the Nintendo Switch in the UK and Europe. While I didn’t have the chance to play the game when it first launched in July, there was now an opportunity to do so and I was looking forward to it as I haven’t played a horror game in a while.
MADiSON starts off with protagonist Luca waking up in a dark room of his grandparents’ house in which he has apparently been locked. On the other side, he can hear his distressed father demanding answers for what he did. Luca isn’t quite sure what’s happening but he for sure needs to find a way out.
Once he does, he quickly learns that something sinister has happened in his grandparents’ house. There are signs of an occult ritual which is linked to the disappearance of a woman named Madison Hale; and Luca finds an old instant camera that has the ability to alter elements of his surroundings. What Luca also learns is that he might have been involved with the gory events in the house and that demonic forces are at play. Is Luca possessed and can he escape the horrors he’ll face?
The mystery behind the events of the game and the supernatural elements that Luca comes across endows MADiSON’s plot with some welcome originality. The professional voice acting, the ominous soundtrack and the fact that you play as Luca in closed spaces add to the psychological horror ambience. Fans of the genre will definitely find MADiSON’s eerie presentation captivating.
Also original are the numerous puzzles that you will need to solve in order to progress. This will involve carefully scrutinising your environment for clues and items, as well as the use of the instant camera. The latter is MADiSON’s novelty and plays a central part of the gameplay. You are able to snap pictures to unlock paths, gain puzzle clues and even fend for yourself in a “boss battle”.
While the puzzles and camera mechanics offer some interesting and fresh experiences, they often fall into the trap of taking clues for granted. Some clues might be hard to find such as while other puzzles or how to progress aren't always obvious. For example, I felt like I was aimlessly navigating a maze without a map and clear objective as to how to go forward and I was surprised to see that a puzzle involved randomly switching fuses in order to solve it. Even if such roadblocks are recurring issues in puzzle titles, MADiSON doesn’t offer much to remedy the experience (unlike recent titles like Lost in Play that offer a handy hint feature without spoiling too much of the solution).
The Switch version further makes interacting with items and finding clues more challenging as the crosshair is not that visible and requires some dexterity to point at an element. I also found that the fonts are rather tiny on the Switch’s screen and the scenes to be rather dark (further making the crosshair hard to find). Even if this adds to the horror vibe, this makes finding interactive elements even more challenging to locate. While you do get a lighter at some point in the game, it is only used for a segment and a handheld torch accessible throughout the game might have helped address the issue.
As expected, graphics take a blow in the Switch version but I didn’t mind it as much as the load times. The latter can be quite considerable but are also an expected feature on Nintendo’s handheld. I also came across a persisting bug early on such as a safe that wouldn't let me store or take items when prompted. But this didn’t affect the gameplay otherwise.
On the horror side, the presentation is done well, and the eerie feeling is palpable even on the handheld. While there are some well-placed jump scares, MADiSON often has an overreliance on those which surely work but feel repetitive and don't always work to the advantage of its overall presentation. The plot’s progression and decision of some of the cast also don’t always feel satisfying but can be attributed to the otherworldly forces at play. This can feel like an easy way out instead of further fleshing out the plot to be more convincing.
While not perfect, MADiSON introduces some fresh mechanics and a chilling presentation. Fans of horror games will find some interesting aspects in this game which they can now add to their physical collection.
MADiSON is available digitally on the Nintendo eShop, Steam, GOG, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store for $34.99/ £29.99/€34.99. Retail versions for the Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5 are also available with an SRP of $39.99/£34.99/€39.99.
