Unknown Tapes (2024) Game Review – Dinosaur Analogue Horror

Posted on by Jim Cox

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Unknown Tapes is a 2024 analogue horror video game created with Unreal Engine 5, developed and published by TraviTeam Games. After releasing the fast-paced, physics-based local PVP fighting game Scroter in April 2024, TraviTeam Games shifted focus toward horror games. The company released Unknown Tapes in December 2024 and is currently working on the sci-fi roguelike Planetgore and the roguelike card battler Resurrect, both of which have demos available on Steam.

After being the sole survivor of a helicopter crash, a young child must make their way through a dinosaur-infested laboratory compound in hopes of finding a way to escape this Jurassic nightmare.

Emulating the analogue horror of VHS found footage films, Unknown Tapes manages to mimic this format within its story well. Delivering its baseline narrative of surviving a helicopter directly to the player, the majority of its main story elements are relayed environmentally via collectable audiotapes and written documents. While the lack of heavy exposition allows the player to piece together the story, it’s entirely possible to miss or skip these elements. However, due to the length of the game (I only clocked just over 3 hours in-game, including notetaking), the story is more of an accompaniment to the game rather than a core element–exhisting as a means to an end rather than a gripping narrative-driven story. As such, the story is arguably the weakest element overall. Despite this, it still performs its purpose well, providing enough enticement to keep the player progressing forward.

Similar to titles such as the Outlast series, the gameplay is very much categorized in the walking simulator genre. Having no means to defend yourself against the onslaught of vicious dinosaurs, you are very much the prey in every scenario. Your only means of defence is to hide or succumb to the savagery of these prehistoric beasts. As such, stealth is a large part of the gameplay, and while Unknown Tapes’ implementation of the mechanic is simplistic, it’s still effective. Consisting of crouching to make less noise and avoiding line of sight with enemies, it hardly breaks the mold with its design. Yet, it still manages to create some incredibly unnerving moments throughout the game.

Outside of this, the other core gameplay mechanic implemented is mild puzzle-solving. Mostly made up of finding keys or codes to open up the next level, you’re not going to find anything with Resident Evil-esque levels of complexity. However, these fetch quest style puzzles soon become more monotonous than complex as the game progresses, featuring a lot of back and forth between areas–purposefully elongating this already short game. While the objectives can become a slightly confusing backwards and forwards in the late game, the ramp-up in tension certainly makes up for this–introducing larger foes in tighter environments.

Utilising the photo-realistic graphics of Epic’s latest version of the Unreal Engine, the game looks eerily true-to-life at times. Its graphical improvements, lighting effects, and photogrammetry help create naturalistic environments with realistic detail. Additionally, the large amount of post-processing overlay effects added over the screen heavily leans into this realism with its emulation of the found footage style. The High-contrast grain, stuttery tape scan effects, over-exposure, and movement blur all replicate the VHS medium perfectly.

Creating an uncomfortable atmosphere, the sound design of Unknown Tapes is undoubtedly its strongest element. Devoid of any kind of score, the game utilises ambient sound, or lack thereof, to create an unending sense of dread. Mostly consisting of insect chirps, distant crackles of fire, the dull thuds of the character’s footsteps, and, at times, deafening silence, the sound design does a fantastic job at creating a sense of isolation throughout.

However, piercing through this ambient sound design are the horrifying calls of nearby dinosaurs, evoking an intense level of innate fear. With reading enemy sounds being an important element for survival, the lack of unnecessary sounds allows for these to be easily read and utilised to avoid. Moreover, rather than take an unrealistic approach to dinosaur calls, the game implements pragmatic coos and hoots over movie-prone growls and roars. While this would seem less scary in theory, in practice, it strengthens the intended realism of found footage rather than a feature film.

Furthermore, the game adds a real-life sound element at certain points. During tense scenes, it monitors the player’s microphone audio (if available), relaying sounds to nearby enemies if they reach a certain decibel level and causing a game over. While not unique—having been used in games like Alien: Isolation and Don’t Scream (another Unreal Engine 5 analogue horror game)—it certainly heightens the already tense atmosphere. However, if the player has no microphone attached and no inputs are detected, this element becomes somewhat redundant—adding little but not diminishing the tension.

An exhilarating blend of analogue horror and prehistoric horror, Unknown Tapes is a unique combination of both that seemingly answers the question “what if Jurassic Park were a found footage horror film?”. With its realistic graphics, fantastic sound design, and foreboding isolation, the game effortlessly creates an unending sense of dread throughout. Although only a short experience, the terror experienced during this brief time is certainly worth checking this title out.

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