Unhinged delivers a reasonable dose of horror alongside some fun, experimental ideas

Since creating Netflix Games, the subscription giant has seemed unsure of what it's trying to do. At first, we got a string of stellar indies like Into the Breach and Oxenfree. Happy days, right? Well, it was, until they changed tack, binning some great stuff and instead focusing on games based on their existing shows, which included the slapdash Stumble Guys-like: Squid Game Unleashed. It's been a confusing journey, only made more baffling by the recent release of Unhinged. However, in this case, it's baffling in a promising way. 

You play as Ava (Zoe Kravitz), who has decided to stay in her apartment during a pretty nasty hurricane. She lives opposite her pal Claire (Sadie Sink) and the pair are a little spooked when the power goes out in the middle of the night. Evidently, the inclement weather didn't serve as an appropriately strong warning that things might go awry. So, they decide to get out of there, a decision that likely should have been made a long time ago. 

Still, better late than never, right? The problem is that Ava is a horror protagonist, meaning the pull of lingering a little too long takes her to her neighbour Joyce's apartment, wanting to make sure she’s okay. Naturally, while she does that, a guy sneaks into her apartment with murderous intent and waits for her to return. From there, a game of cat and mouse plays out until it's time for the credits to roll. 

If you've picked up on a lack of enthusiasm there, that's absolutely intentional. The story is nothing to write home about whatsoever, with Unhinged's antagonist feeling like his personality was pulled from a horror trope gacha machine. Zoe Kravitz and Sadie Sink put in fine performances, considering what they have to work with, and Troy Baker is, well, he's Troy Baker. He's been voice acting in games since time immemorial. 

Instead, the reason to check out Unhinged is the control setup. Your phone and Ava's are one and the same. You can snoop through her texts, attempt to make calls, and switch on the flashlight to help with the unrelenting darkness. It also acts as the controller, meaning you can wave it around Wiimote-style to look for interactive elements in the environment. Think of it as a bit like first-person Until Dawn, and you've pretty much got the picture. It serves to make you feel mechanically connected to everything, putting you front and centre of your own horror story, albeit a fairly uninspired one. 

It's surprisingly effective, scurrying around to hide from Troy Baker and hearing the buzz of a text from your actual phone or Claire's voice crackling through the speaker to lend a hand. I wouldn't say it's ever truly scary, but it certainly made me feel involved with everything. However, the reason it doesn't quite hit the Netflix and Chills vibe is that it's a linear story with only surface-level choices. Whenever there's a problem, you merely swing your phone around the room looking for a floating shape to interact with.

Call-and-click adventure

Some of these sections are timed, though you'll always have plenty, and the only reason to let it run out is to hear the little police reports that play whenever you die. If going against the grain is your thing, the illusion shatters almost instantly. To get maximum enjoyment from Unhinged, you have to buy into its pretence. And I was happy enough to do that since it's only about half an hour long, and some of the smaller details are very cool. 

There is a section where Ava falls down a trash chute, landing with a bump that damages her phone. This is reflected by the UI, with a web of cracks adorning the screen until the end. Likewise, after suffering an unpleasant injury, every tap you make leaves behind a bloody fingerprint. While the overall story and, frankly, gameplay are somewhat lacking, these experimental touches will raise a smile. 

And I truly hope it's something Netflix keeps trying. Using a phone as a controller opens plenty of possibilities, with dynamic UI options and the potential for inventive interactive elements. Unhinged feels like a proof of concept that could do with some fleshing out next time around. Ultimately, though, it's a case of come for the star-studded cast, stay for the fake cracked screen.