Recs.
Updated
Serena is a first-person adventure horror game. You play as a man who is waiting in a remote cabin for his wife Serena to arrive, yet he cannot remember anything about her.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Suspenseful and mysterious
A man wakes up alone in a remote cabin in the woods. He can't remember anything about why he is there, but he knows he is waiting for his wife Serena to show up. This bare bones introduction leaves things wide open for many different scenarios and possibilities. Throughout the duration, many questions continually arise which add to the situation in strange or creative ways, and do a great job at keeping you on the edge of your seat.
Pro Great story pacing
At the start of game, very little is known about the man or his wife Serena. By examining objects scattered around the cabin, memories slowly come into focus and we learn about the characters. These bits and pieces of information are revealed at a steady, continuous pace throughout the entire game. The situation becomes increasingly more interesting the further you dive in, urging you to push forward and unravel more of the story.
Pro Excellent voice acting
The voice actors did a fantastic job conveying emotion. When inspecting objects in the cabin, fully voice acted memories play out and you can feel the weight of every word. As an aside bit of trivia, the man in Serena is voiced by Josh Mandel, the voice of King Graham from the classic King's Quest games.
Pro Numerous developers contributed to the making of this game
Serena is the combined effort of over 40 different game designers/fans who all contributed various aspects to the game. This unconventional approach to game design results in a very interesting experience due to the blending of many different ideas.
Cons
Con Restricted movement
It's a first-person game, but movement is somewhat restricted. You can rotate the mouse to look around and move the camera, but in order to move, you are restricted to clicking on predetermined locations. It's not a huge issue, but some might find it strange at first.