Husk is a first-person horror game, made by UndeadScout, in which you basically just walk around and explore. Currently, that is really all there is to it, save for the few items that you can pick up and look at, one of which is a Bible. Personally, I like that there is a Bible in this game! Husk is only a Playable Teaser at the moment, but it would be very cool if, when the full game is released, you can interact more with the Bible than just looking at it, unless there already is more interactivity that I missed, in which case, ignore what I just said.
I am not really big on horror games. I like some of them because of the gameplay, but I don't much care for the ones that have a bunch of things constantly popping out at you with crazy faces and going completely nuts. Husk does not have anything really jump out at you. It is the atmosphere that makes the game scary, and that is how the experience of a game like this should be, not necessarily the horror genre only. If the atmosphere is right, the game becomes more immersive, and makes the experience a lasting, memorable one.
Throughout Husk, there is the repeating theme of the number 4. Now, it is either just the number 4 or the concept of 4. What I mean by that is that, when this theme pops up, it is not only the number itself, but it repeats 4 times. It gets slightly meta in that regard. I couldn't understand why when I was playing, but I thought about it afterward.
What I came up with is that the number 4 in Chinese culture is often disliked and regarded as unlucky, the same way the number 13 is disliked and regarded as unlucky in North America. The reason why is because the word 'four' is pronounced the same as the word 'death.' The character that you play as in Husk seems to be dead, or dying. 'Four' is also pronounced the same as 'fortune,' when relating to a musical scale. There's also some religious ideology that it has some significance for.
When someone is dying, there is usually more thought about what comes after and those thoughts are more often than not based on a religious belief. My thoughts about this symbolism in Husk is that, because the character is either dead or dying, there is thought about what comes after. Maybe also, there is the possibility of something fortunate coming out of the situation as well.
Keep in mind, these are all my own personal thoughts on the symbolism or meaning behind the theme of the number 4 in Husk.
I honestly really enjoyed the game. I was expecting more jumpscares, but I am actually glad that there weren't because I don't believe I would have enjoyed the game as much as I did. It really is all atmosphere because there's not much that actually happens, other than sounds. Loud or sudden sounds, the fear of the darkness or ominous lighting, and the expectation that something bad is going to happen all make for a much better, much more immersive experience and I am thoroughly impressed.
The developers have done a great job so far and I want to encourage them to keep up the great work! I cannot wait until Husk is fully released and I am sure it will be even better than it is now! I played Husk on my channel and, of course, you can check out the video down below. If you enjoy it and you would like to see more, head over to my channel, and don't forget to subscribe, just click on my name!
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