Bendy and the Ink Machine

- Reviewed on PS4 -

Bendy and the Ink Machine released on February 10th, 2017.

I had my eye on this game for a while, and finally getting to explore this world of "Ink" is definitely a fun / positive experience (gaming wise), but it has its negatives as well unfortunately. 

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

Starting with the most obvious feature of Bendy and the Ink Machine... the graphics in this game are so pleasant and enjoyable to look at. 

I love the way this whole game plays out (besides the ending scenes) with only showing a certain color palette. 

Bendy and the Ink Machine consists of dark tones involving brown, black, grey, and the occasional dark yellowish tones. 

The story of Bendy and the Ink Machine, is almost at its potential I believe (in my opinion). 

This is one of my major issues with Bendy and the Ink Machine, I feel like its potential could've had much more in the final product of this otherwise, great horror / survival title. 

Nonetheless, Bendy and the Ink Machine has its amazing lore and story to be told. 

You play as main protagonist Henry Stein, who goes to his old animation studio upon his old bosses' request (Joey Drew). 

As you explore and interact in this amazing setting by Joey Drew Studios (and TheMeatly Games, LTD.), you can learn the backstory of how the other employees felt during the creation process of, you guessed it, Bendy. 

The collectibles in Bendy and the Ink Machine are audio logs that you can listen to throughout the game. 

I did notice choppy FPS in the beginning of Bendy and the Ink Machine, but as time went on, the game fixed itself. 

Voice acting is a little messy, specifically with Henry's voice acting. 

Some may be annoyed with how protagonists in horror games (and movies as well) act like (vocal wise) in situations, and this game was the only game I remember (as of writing this blog post) getting annoyed with the calm nature Henry had throughout this horrifying experience. 

Enemy design is great for those creatures who aren't just ink blobs sort to speak. 

The creatures that roam the animation department, do have scary / fear inducing voices, but at the end of the day, the monsters aren't scary for average players (like myself). 

The main (focal point) enemy in this game, is Bendy himself, otherwise known as Ink Bendy or (in-game) commonly known as The Ink Demon. 

I loved the design of The Ink Demon, but its lack of appearance and awful final boss battle, ruined its reputation for me. 

Speaking of battling, the combat in Bendy and the Ink Machine is pretty straight forward and okay in a sense. 

Nothing special, just swinging an axe (or pipe) essentially, with good / satisfying sound effects. 

The sound effects honestly, saved me from getting bored of the combat quickly.

The length of Bendy and the Ink Machine is approximately four and a half hours, which honestly, at first, I did not like (as I did enjoy my time with the game) but after thinking through, with what this game offers, the four-and-a-half-hour length is pretty substantial. 

Would I have liked more story (longer playtime) from Bendy and the Ink Machine? Yes, I would, but again, harping back to the "potential" statement, this game had a lot more potential than what it delivered in its final product. 

Pros: 

    - Amazing Graphics

    - Good Lore / Story

    - Great Enemy Design

    - Okay Combat

    - Fun Music (at Times)

Cons:

    - Bad / Unrealistic Voice Acting from Henry (Main Protagonist)

    - Not as Scary as it Could've Been (Overall Game)

    - Short Game Length (Although Understandable) 

My Rating for Bendy and the Ink Machine (on PS4):

3 / 5

-----

Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.