The average person probably would never even contemplate Roblox being a burgeoning hub for horror. I certainly never did. In fact, I was (and still would be) entirely reluctant to have even tried it if it weren’t for my five-year-old son. I was always under the impression that everything on the platform was geared towards children. How foolish I was. There are all sorts of envelope-pushing games on the platform, clearly geared toward adults. And that includes hundreds, if not thousands, of horror games.
As with every category within Roblox, the quality of the “experiences” (their term for games) varies. Since anyone with a computer can make games, the system is rife with half-assed and unfinished attempts, or shoddily-crafted ripoffs of more established games. In other words, the quality varies tremendously.
But one that stands out above the rest is “The Rake: Remastered”. Based off a creepypasta story, its premise is so simple that it seems impossible to live up to: You and your server mates are stranded in a forest, and must survive the night against an evil being that seems to derive joy out of slashing people to ribbons. During the daytime, which is a scant two-and-a-half minutes in real-time, you use points accrued from survivals and the selling of scrap metal, to purchase items that help give you a chance at making it out alive. Come night - which lasts an agonizing eight minutes and twenty seconds - you wander around the frozen hellscape, simply trying not to die.
Enjoy the light while you have it.
Games like this tend to get boring fairly quickly. You might get scared the first few times, but once you understand how everything works, many games grow tiresome. This is true everywhere, but especially on Roblox, where inexperienced developers can churn out anything they want. So then it should come as no surprise that most horror “experiences” on the platform rely almost entirely on jumpscares. The Rake goes in the opposite direction, attempting to create an atmosphere of complete and utter terror. The Rake is almost inarguably the most vicious, unrelenting killer of any Roblox game. This isn’t one of the myriad games that aims to blend horror with “fun”. No, this is go-for-broke horror. It aims for the throat and doesn’t let go.
This is nearly pitch-perfect horror. Usually, concessions must be given to Roblox games, because the limited development teams (often just one or two people) mean fewer resources. So the games that are impressive in Roblox would often be considered flat and lifeless if fleshed out into an “actual” game. But “The Rake: Remastered” is that rare gem that isn’t just terrifying “for a Roblox game”; it’s terrifying across the board, period. I have played some genuinely scary games in my day, but most of them lose their ability to scare fairly quickly. This is especially true of linear games, where events and item locations can be memorized. I mean, as great as a game like “Amnesia” is, would it still be as scary if you played it through ten times? Hell, would it even be as scary the second time?
The map features a small collection of landmarks that offer temporary relief, but no guaranteed methods of survival. There’s the base camp, easily identifiable for the red lights that illuminate each side. There’s the observation tower, which sits at least a hundred feet above the ground and is only accessible via ladder. Then there’s the safe house, which isn’t nearly as safe as the name would lead you to believe.
But for each of their appeals lies a hidden (or obvious) dark side. The base camp is wide open and frequently patrolled by The Rake, who likes to sneak up on his usually-immobile prey here. The observation tower provides no way down should The Rake wander up the ladder (yes, he can climb) forcing the player to either accept their fate atop the tower, or take an incapacitating injury jumping off. And the safe house's damaged roof allows The Rake easy access to the occupants; as does the front door, which is forced open once the power goes out.
And boy does that power like to go out. The on-site power plant provides limited amounts of energy to virtually everything in the game. Once it’s depleted, it renders everything but the flashlight, map, compass and medikit completely useless. The power stays out until a player restarts it, a process that takes around 20 seconds and provides The Rake an easy, defenseless target. Waiting until day simply renders the most helpful survival tools completely useless.
For those who would rather just survive - and I’m firmly in that category - there are a few useful items. But, once again, all of them have tradeoffs that still leave the player vulnerable under certain conditions. Take the “Rake Tracker” for instance. It can detect him from up to 100 studs away, giving the player advanced notice as to his whereabouts. However, it’s not linked to a specific direction, so just seeing a number doesn’t tell you where he’s coming from. And the tracker updates every two or so seconds - a time frame that sounds fast, but is agonizingly slow as you await results. Hell, even the 100 stud detection distance is very, very short, giving you a split-second to make a decision before he spots you.
And if he spots you, boy will you know it. Being spotted triggers a “cutscene” in which Rake elicits a bloodcurdling scream before running toward you. The camera automatically jerks the player towards him - no matter what way they were facing before - forcing them to quickly collect their bearings as they hastily attempt to flee the creature. Act too slowly, or run out of stamina, and you’re as good as dead, triggering a jumpscare that’s the stuff of horror legend: He delivers the final blow, accompanied by a high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream that’s several decibels louder than any other sound in the game. I mean, it’s so loud that I could see it damaging eardrums, or blowing speakers, for those who have it up too loud. The effect is something that you never really get used to, even after experiencing it dozens of times.
This is one of the most well-balanced horror games I’ve ever played, which only adds to the vulnerability. Some may call it “too difficult” or unfair. Any items purchased (or found) along the way are lost upon death (though they can often be re-purchased at the shop for the next round). Money is hard to come by, with the most effective items costing five or more survivals’ worth. The monster can run faster than a walking player, but not faster than a running one, leading to footraces that become more and more tense as a players’ energy bar is depleted. The sinking feeling of running out of energy during a chase - forcing you to walk instead of run, and knowing he’s still right behind you - is a feeling of helplessness few horror games manage to get right. And once he latches onto prey he “stalks” them walking slowly behind them, out of radar range, waiting for them to slow down or stop so he can make his move. Being attacked from behind results in a one-hit death no matter what.
This isn’t the type of monster game that holds the player’s hand. In fact, I’d venture to say it’s the perfect introductory experience to the horror genre for young ones. I’ll admit I introduced this to both my wife, and our five-year-old son. In both instances, they were so shaken at first they refused to go near it. Then, gradually, they both warmed up to it. It got to the point that my son was better at the game than I was, able to escape virtually every encounter with the monster. My wife soon followed suit, and we would frequently play the game together during “family” time. There’s just something so…genuine about traveling through a harsh winter hellscape to find your son’s Roblox alter-ego. Or getting separated from your family during a chase, suddenly leaving you vulnerable and alone. Or protecting them from the evil creature as they find themselves being attacked. It got to the point where we felt survivor’s guilt if we didn’t all make it out alive. It’s the type of game where survivals actually feel like an accomplishment.
Many detractors decry the game’s difficulty, or the price of the items. They complain that the gamepasses are required to get the most out of the game, at the expense of “real” money. They point to the game’s creator, known as RVVZ, who is known for making cash grabs. (Word on the street is his other game, “Criminality”, is so hard for beginners that it basically forces them to spend cash on weapons that are lost upon being killed. Ouch.) If that’s the case, his greed has inadvertently created a nearly perfect horror experience. It should be hard to kill the creature. It should make you work toward affording the more expensive items. (As an aside, supply drops can be called for via a flare gun hidden somewhere in the map every night. The drops, which are contained in a large crate dropped from an airplane, contain a random assortment of items - including expensive ones - allowing players to avoid having to use in-game currency. Players are limited to one item from the crate, which can be opened by anyone, regardless of who fired the flare. Thes usually only contain one or two weapons, though, so getting one is pretty rare.)
Okay, so at its core, this is still Roblox. And all the typical drawbacks of the platform still apply here. Players wear their in-game clothing, meaning it’s common to see, for example, a person dressed as a cat (or combinations much weirder than that) wandering around the frozen tundra. It’s a surreal experience that can certainly bring the horror levels down a notch or two. And, while not nearly as laughable as the humans, The Rake’s design - though greatly improved over past iterations - does look pretty dumb from afar. But tell me that when he pops up in front of you and starts giving chase. Or when you’re isolated in a safe house as he slowly tears the roof off. Or when you’re trapped on the observation tower with no chance of escape. It somehow manages to overcome its goofiness by delivering a primitive, effective horror experience.
Outside of outward appearance, one of the biggest drawbacks is that the Rake is prone to glitches. I know that no game is completely free of defects, but when it does happen, it can certainly destroy the menacing atmosphere. As an example, our son managed to get Rake to stand on his shoulders for almost an entire night, simply by standing directly in the spot that Rake drops into the safe house. He was there so long that, by the end of night, the entire server had gathered at the safe house to view the scene. (I have to admit I had a “proud father” moment over that one.) To be fair, he’s tried that trick many other times, and was usually killed pretty quickly. But on the other hand, he got the idea through watching a YouTube video; it’s clearly a known bug that should have been patched by the developers rather quickly.
But thanks to the overall quality of the product around it, these issues are minor. It doesn’t detract from the fact this should be played by every fan of the horror genre. Even non-gamers might find something to like here, such as the dreadful atmosphere and excellent sound design. It’s that incredibly rare Roblox game that’s begging for a remake outside of Roblox, with a better graphics engine, and free of Roblox’s many “rules” to ensure a somewhat family-friendly platform. (The original beta version of this, released five years ago, was actually banned for being too violent.)
Don’t let Roblox’s reputation as a place for children dissuade you from giving it a shot. This isn’t just far and away the scariest game I’ve ever played on the platform, it’s one of the scariest games I’ve ever played, period.
Overall: 9/10.
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