Shaun M Jooste 
Whispering Lane Review PC: 2024 Survival Horror FPS
My Whispering Lane review reveals an impressive horror game with great elements and few combat quirks. A wonderful experience worth replaying!
Operating System: Windows 11, Steam
Application Category: Game
4.3
Welcome to my Whispering Lane review for PC! Developed and published by sole developer Airem, the survival horror FPS game launched on Steam on 18 June 2024. It features two main characters, one being a reality TV seeker of ghosts and the other being a policeman. You’ll use clues you find within a haunted house to discover lost mysteries and escape demonic entities.
With elements close to Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, you’ll be wary around every corner with your weapon in your hands. Follow my Whispering Lane review as I reveal the story, gameplay, and visual-audio elements of the horror game.
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.keymailer.co. Still, this review is based on my personal experience of the game and is not impacted by the gift.
Story Review | Haunted House with a Demonic Basement
The first part of my Whispering Lane review focuses on the story. It forms part of the intense experience, playing out as you uncover clues and discover new areas within the haunted house. I’ll try my best not to spoil too much of the plot.
Horror Streaming Reality TV
The first part of the horror game that struck me was the “found footage” element. I loved movies like The Blair Witch Project and especially the Paranormal Activity movies. When you begin, you are GhostSeeker from Haunted Explorations. You play the game from the view of the camera, but there are skipped scenes as he turns off the recorder.
What I need to mention here for my Whispering Lane review is that you’ll receive some clues as a foreshadowing element of what’s to come. It’s an interesting and exciting way to play the prologue before the main game begins.
What’s Happening in that House?
Once the prologue is done, you play as police officer Jackson Harrowfield. You receive a call from the station to investigate strange noises at the same house in Whispering Lane. When you find the building, you’ll need to first find a way to enter the building before investigating. Everything is definitely not what it once seemed.
Discovering a Whole New, Dark Realm
If you’ve played Silent Hill, you may be familiar with Otherworld. The horror game Mirror Forge and my horror novel Sacred Valley: Betrayal have the same theme of a darker dimension that mirrors reality. I’m happy to report in my Whispering Lane review that this FPS survival game also has a demonic realm, which you’ll travel through a few times as you seek to discover the underbelly of this haunted tale.
Interestingly enough, it’s in this dark dimension that you find GhostSeeker. You’ll speak to him before he vanishes again, leaving you more confused than before. It’s a mysterious plot that had me wondering what will happen next.
Searching for Clues
Another way that Whispering Lane reveals the story is through notes and clues. Many of them have writing on them that informs you about monsters, items, or what happened in the house. You may find the same note twice in different realms, but it’s simply to remind you of their meaning.
Last Hope Survival Mode
Once you complete the main game and uncover the truth, you can play Last Hope mode. Basically, you’ll have waves of enemies attacking the house, which you need to defend in any way possible. It’s a great way to see if you’ve learnt anything from facing these demons in the main game. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to test this mode before writing my Whispering Lane review.
Walking Simulator Mode
Another mode you’ll unlock after playing the main game is Walking Simulator. Here, you can simply walk through the games and areas without worrying about troublesome monsters or bosses. It’s a new way to experience the locations in peace and see the beauty of the horrific rooms.
How Long to Play Whispering Lane on PC?
I’ve seen reports that say you can complete this horror game in just over 2 hours. I guess they are referring to once you’ve already played the game, as there’s no way I could do that for my Whispering Lane review. Heck, it took me 2 hours just to get passed the first boss, escape some weird creature that kept killing me, and find GhostSeeker. A more conservative number would be between 4 and 6 hours, depending on how well you progress between the fights and puzzles.
Final Thoughts on Whispering Lane Review Story Elements
Overall, I enjoyed the story element for my Whispering Lane review. I love it when a game slowly feeds you the plot and background story while you try to survive. There are too many horror games out there that just focus on gore and thrills without too much of a story. With this FPS survival game, you have notes and hidden messages to keep you guessing.
Gameplay Review | Fight, Shoot, or Hide
The next part of my Whispering Lane review is about the gameplay. It answers the question: “What is it like to play this horror game?” I mention the main combat and puzzle mechanics, while also covering some extra system elements.
Learning How to Play Whispering Lane on PC
The survival game is kind enough to let you know how to play. It’s not so much a tutorial as pop-ups when you need them the most. Whenever you encounter a new weapon or item, a message will appear explaining how to use it. The same applies to movement or investigating something in your hands.
Moving Around the House and Beyond
For my Whispering Lane review, I found movement to be easy in most cases without too much of a challenge. You can walk, run, and crouch, plus you’ll need to interact with and open some items. There was one point where I thought I was getting stuck, but my character seemed to get himself out of the situation.
To Save or Not to Save…That’s the Question
Thankfully, the horror FPS game is unlike Resident Evil or Silent Hill when it comes to saving. You don’t need to find specific items in order to save your progress. You just press ESC on the keyboard or Pause on your controller, and then head to Save.
Having said that, you aren’t always able to save. There was one scene where I needed to creep through an area and hide when this invincible creature appeared. If he sees you, you’re basically dead. It’s during intense moments like this that the save option isn’t available until you’re in a safe zone and past the challenge.
Combat System and Boss Fights
One really positive part of my Whispering Lane review is the combat system. Well, shall I say the amount of weapons you find. I tried two different playthroughs. During the first one, I somehow missed the pistol and first found the shotgun. I definitely spotted it during the second playthrough. Also, there’s plenty of ammo on the easy setting, but I still chose to use my firearms sparingly.
The boss fights are intense, and you really need to move around and find the best opportunity to fire. I mostly use my shotgun in many cases, but melee weapons also come in handy. As for fighting, the melee weapons sometimes feel a bit clunky to handle, but there are ways to avoid being hit and striking back. I just dislike how some creatures kill you with the first blows, sometimes instantly.
Knowing When to Fight, Hide, or Flee
This leads me to the next part of my Whispering Lane review. It’s best to learn when you should fight, run, or hide. If you see closets, lockers, or any other places to hide in, it’s usually a hint that that’s what you need to do to survive and continue. I know you’ll want to kill every creature you find. So did I. Yet, it’s in your best interest to simply run or vanish for a moment at times.
Enhanced Help System
The developer didn’t want to leave you helpless and unable to proceed, which is praise-worthy. You’ll see tips appear on the screen, and there are hints in several of the cutscenes. Even the notes will leave you some clues. There will always be something to let you know what you should be doing next, even a journal of sorts in your inventory.
Survival Instinct System 2.0
Another wonderful aspect I want to mention in this gameplay section of my Whispering Lane review is the Survival Instinct System 2.0. Your character is affected by what happens around him, and you’ll see it clearly. His heartbeat picks up speed, or his movement slows down when injured. It will feel like you’re right there in the game, waiting for the next jumpscare.
Survival Horror Item Management System
This element gave me Resident Evil vibes. You have an inventory system which grows bigger as you progress into the game. There are also bags you’ll find along the way that serve as your central stash with all your stored items. What stood out for me the most for my Whispering Lane review was mixing herbs with other items to make new medicinal tools. It’s clear where the developer got some of his inspiration from.
Enemy Artificial Intelligence
One of the notes I received when I accepted the game for my Whispering Lane review was about improved enemy AI. I can confirm that this is indeed true. When I went through the same area a few times due to dying, I noticed how the enemies behaved differently every time. They also pick you up more easily from around corners as soon as they spot you, which means you need to be really good at creeping and hiding.
How Easy is it to Play Whispering Lane on PC?
Quite frankly, I didn’t find it that hard to play. Yes, there are some ultra-strong bosses that will kill you with the wink of an eye. Still, it’s just about finding the way past them that the developer intended. If you’re used to horror survival games, you’ll find it at just the right level of challenging.
Final Thoughts on Whispering Lane Review Gameplay Elements
While some of the combat may be clunky and bosses overpowered at times, it’s still enjoyable to play. There are many moments where you’ll creep along slowly just to make it past a few enemies. It provides a good balance of stealth and combat, but the weapons you find are rewarding. I also enjoyed many of the room puzzles to make it to the next level.
Audio-Visual Review | Chilling Visuals and Sound
The final part of my Whispering Lane review has to do with the visuals and audio. The music, sounds, and voice acting play key parts in any horror game, conveying a sense of dread and adding to the chilling atmosphere. Let’s see how well the game does so.
Eerie Visuals and Haunting Atmosphere
As part of my Whispering Lane review notes from the developer, they stated “Airem is a one-person studio, so don’t expect AAA games.” I must say, for a one-man team, the visuals and atmosphere are pretty damn good. There’s a sense of Silent Hills/P.T. Demo in some areas, while you’ll get a touch of Resident Evil in others. The lighting, shadows, and colours are absolutely outstanding.
Visual Clues for Items
Of course, I prefer if games give some indication of where items are waiting for me. Luckily, Whispering Lane does this very well. Since most of the areas are dark, items you’ll need will blink when you approach them. This ensures that you don’t miss anything and can continue playing.
Outstanding Sounds and Music
The sound and music add to the atmosphere and tension of the horror game. Even the creatures make some horrific noises at times, or you can hear them long before you see them. This audio mechanic adds to the suspense, causing your heart to beat louder in real life. If you enjoyed the music in the game, you can also buy the soundtrack as a DLC on Steam.
Excellent Voice Acting
There’s voice acting! That alone adds more points to my Whispering Lane review. It adds to the realism of the game, hearing the characters speak and their voices echoing off the walls. Sure, there’s plenty to read too, but you’ll enjoy cutscenes or momentary dialogue while investigating for a change of pace.
Now, I say voice acting, but it seems the developer used AI for some of the voicing in the game. On the Steam Page is the following note: “I use the service to generate artificial intelligence voices for characters.” However, this is mostly tested beforehand before being applied to the game. And it’s still pretty good!
Final Thoughts on Whispering Lane Review Audio-Visual Elements
The visual-audio elements really do well in the game, despite being developed by a one-man team. It’s really impressive what they were able to accomplish, especially the GhostSeeker footage. There are also some pretty outstanding and gory scenes that I loved, which you can see in the Whispering Lane review at the top of this article.
Whispering Lane Review PC: Final Verdict
Whispering Lane is quite impressive. There are so many elements I love in this game, which you can check out further below with the pros and cons. Mostly, I enjoy how it has elements of other horror games I love. I’m not outright a fan of some of the combat mechanics, but I managed to survive with some tricks (mostly walking back and then striking forward). Overall, I find it a wonderful horror experience that I will play again. Heck, I’d give the developer a shot at adapting my Sacred Valley horror book series into games.
Is Whispering Lane worth buying on PC?
Yes, it is. Whispering Lane isn’t that expensive, plus you can grab several of the developer’s titles in an affordable bundle. For horror gamers who love Silent Hill and Resident Evil, you’ll get goosebumps in several areas of the game. I look forward to seeing what Airem works on next.
Whispering Lane is now available on Steam! Try it out and let us know what you think.
What other games are like Whispering Lane?
To end my Whispering Lane review, here are a few games that are similar to it:
- Silent Hill
- Resident Evil
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- Mirror Forge
- Lunacy: Saint Rhodes
- Tormented Souls
- Haunted Bloodlines
What I liked and didn’t like about Whispering Lane
As another addition to my Whispering Lane review, here’s what I liked and disliked:
Pros:
- Thrilling storyline with clues to uncover
- Interesting characters, especially GhostSeeker
- Stealth mechanic is helpful sometimes
- Handy help system for when you get stuck
- Outstanding sounds, animations, and voice acting
- Visual hints to clues and essential items
- Fantastic Survival Instinct System
- Classic inventory system with mixing of items
- Otherworld realm like in Silent Hill
Cons:
- Some creatures are overpowered and force you to hide
- Melee combat sometimes feels clunky with no combos
- Not always able to save, which can be annoying in long game scenes
Enjoy Our Horror and Thriller Novels and Short Stories!
If you’ve made it this far in my Whispering Lane review for PC, I applaud you. Should you wish to further enjoy your stay, check out our online bookstore. You can browse my dark fantasy collection, the Celenic Earth Chronicles, which starts with The Windfarer. For a darker story, you can also check out my horror novel, Sacred Vally: Betrayal, inspired by the Silent Hill franchise.
