CRITICAL REFLEX showcase promises more than 12 games
CRITICAL REFLEX will show more than 12 games in its second showcase, including Tiny Chills - Not From Ear, Pipes.exe and Drowned Lake.
CRITICAL REFLEX will stream its second showcase, CRITICAL REFLEX TIME, on 21 October at 2:30am JST, with more than 12 games promised alongside major announcements, new trailers, demo information and surprises for console players.1
The publisher’s showcase is a useful early look at the sort of oddball horror and experimental games CRITICAL REFLEX has built its reputation around. The four highlighted games include Pipes.exe, a co-operative horror game about searching for bugs in a new product; Tiny Chills - Not From Ear, a horror game that turns ear cleaning into a route through a town hiding unsettling anomalies; Being and Becoming, a metroidvania set in a kingdom on the brink of collapse; and Drowned Lake, a survival horror game about investigating a disappearance while fishing.1
What to expect from the showcase
CRITICAL REFLEX says the programme will feature more than the four highlighted projects. The presentation is also expected to include fresh announcements, the latest trailers, demo details and follow-up news on existing games. The publisher’s previous releases include Buckshot Roulette, Mouthwashing and No, I’m not a Human, giving the event a clear horror-heavy identity even as its line-up crosses genres.1
The timing is awkward for UK viewers: 2:30am JST is 6:30pm BST on 20 October. The showcase will stream through CRITICAL REFLEX’s official YouTube channel, according to the announcement carried by 4Gamer.1 Viewers should check the channel page nearer the event for the live link and any regional timing changes.
Tiny Chills - Not From Ear is already listed on Steam as an upcoming game from developer Ducktopus Games, with CRITICAL REFLEX named as publisher.2 Its store description centres on the fictional town of Velviano, disappearances and disturbing discoveries beneath the skin, which fits the grim inspection-scope image used for this story’s hero.2
Our opinion
A showcase built around four genuinely distinctive games is more appealing than another broad publisher reel where every announcement blends into the next. Tiny Chills - Not From Ear has the strongest immediate hook, while Pipes.exe sounds like the natural co-operative wildcard. The real test will be whether CRITICAL REFLEX uses the event to show playable footage and release plans rather than simply repeat atmospheric teasers. With more than 12 titles involved, there should be enough new material to make the late-night stream worth keeping an eye on.