Blair Witch Review: Lost and Found

Enter the Black Hills Forest and search for answers as both the forest’s darkness and your own past haunt your footsteps.

Blair Witch
Developer: Bloober Team
Price: $30
Platforms: PC (reviewed), Xbox One
MonsterVine was provided with a PC code for review.

Based on the lore of the franchise with the same name, Blair Witch is a horror game that puts you in the shoes of Ellis, a former police officer, as he enters the Black Hills Forest in search of a missing boy. Ellis is accompanied by his dog Bullet, and together the two set out to join the search party and look for clues.

Blair Witch sets up an ominous tone right away, with a conversation about how the woods are said to be dangerous, questions about whether or not Ellis should be there, and general concerns about his mental state. It quickly becomes clear that something strange is at work–but is it a supernatural force in the forest or Ellis’s past trauma? That question was in my mind the entire time I played, creating a special uneasiness alongside the creepy atmosphere as I wondered how much of Ellis’s perspective could actually be trusted.

As you search, you have a few tools at your disposal thanks to two action wheels. One wheel includes your inventory, cell phone, walkie-talkie, flashlight, and eventually a camcorder. The other wheel lets you interact with Bullet in various ways, such as telling him to search for clues or petting him. I found these wheels to be slightly unresponsive while playing with a controller, but I had no such issues once I switched to mouse and keyboard controls.

Blair Witch clearly wants you to build up an emotional attachment to Bullet, and I have to admit that watching Bullet run on ahead while tracking a scent and then running back to find me, play in the leaves, or happily bring me a clue was one of my favorite things in the game. Bullet is one of the game’s shining stars. That’s good because you spend a significant amount of time following him through the woods. At a few points, it opens up for you to explore a larger area, but it’s frequently a matter of getting from Point A to Point B and solving the occasional puzzle. Puzzles frequently make use of the camcorder, as you can play tapes to manipulate reality, from opening locked doors to making clues appear. At certain points, the camcorder becomes your only way of navigating a path you otherwise can’t see, so it’s quite an important tool.

There’s also a mild combat aspect, where you need to use your flashlight to drive away invisible enemies. It’s a nice change of pace that occurs infrequently enough to not wear out its welcome. Other sections force you to use a stealthier approach. Many smaller details contribute to the gameplay as well, including optional phone calls and numerous scattered collectibles.

Really, though you’ll spend most of your time walking through the forest. Storytelling and psychological horror are the central features of Blair Witch because while this might be a story about the Black Hills Forest, it’s really a story about Ellis. Sometimes he suffers flashbacks, and his past trauma gradually comes together piece by piece into a dark, somber tale. Although the final section felt dragged out a bit too long, I enjoyed learning about Ellis’s past and present and trying to figure out how it all fits together. At the same time, though, I couldn’t help but wonder if this story really needed to be tied to the Blair Witch franchise. It’s set in the forest and the witch may or may not be responsible for what’s happening, but those aspects almost feel like unnecessary trappings.

The end of the game presented me with the outcomes of my playthrough–some good and some bad. With multiple factors tying into the conclusion, there should be a fair amount of replayability here if you want to see every outcome.

The Final Word
Blair Witch has a good atmosphere and lots of interesting concepts, its multiple endings provide replayability, and Bullet is a wonderful companion. Just keep in mind that you’ll spend a lot of time walking through the woods.

MonsterVine Review Score: 4 out of 5 – Good