Merendam: Escape from Seram Isle Chapter 1, also available (though not free) for iOS and Android, is an appealingly freaky horror action adventure where you play a young girl stranded in the middle of nowhere after an apparition attacks the car she's in and causes it to turn over. Considering the ominous words of the man driving the car, our heroine might have avoided a nasty situation, but is being lost with a bunch of vicious spectres much better? Merendam might be a little weird to pick up at first. On the PC, [A] and [D] are to move left and right, while the [spacebar] can be used to interact, though the touchscreen buttons work just as well. Most action buttons must be held down for a few seconds until they're confirmed, such as holding down the blue eye button for several seconds while the camera pans in. You'll want to keep an eye out for those contextual icons when they appear, as they'll let you know when there's something you want to take a closer look at. Your inventory is limited to two items at a time, so you can drop an item you're carrying on the floor by dragging its icon out of your inventory on the left until it turns from green to blue. You can save your game at a few select locations, which is something you shouldn't neglect since there are murderous spirits about that need to be defeated by following onscreen prompts. Quick time events may be scary enough on their own, but with a creepy atmosphere and tons of jump scares, Merendam is an appealingly freaky adventure that echoes some classic survival horror titles... though not without a few rough patches.
The game is, unfortunately, a little rough around the edges, largely because its interface could do with some optimizing, like making actions instant or allowing you to swap an item with one on the ground. Some of the puzzles can also be maddeningly vague or unintuitive... while there's a lot to be said for attempting to challenge a player's observation and deduction, but geez Louise are some of these stretching it, and we could probably do without the button-mashing "battles" altogether. Still, despite that and some vagueness when it comes to the story (is our heroine being kidnapped? out with her grandfather? no idea!), Merendam is still an atmospheric little adventure that manages to be engagingly creepy even with its Kewpie-doll characters. The slow panning of actions does add a touch of dread and cinema, and scares can come when you least expect them, even in places that were previously "safe". There's something very appealingly old school about its concept and gameplay that echoes classic console survival horror titles, and hopefully a second installment will tie up its loose ends and smooth out the rough edges, because Merendam: Escape from Seram Isle has a ton of potential.
Android:
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough
Start by taking the first half of the scissors from the entrance to the hospital. Go inside and look to the left for the other half. Combine them together and use the scissors to cut off the drapes to the right.
First lock
The 3-digit number for the lock behind the drapes can be found on the outer wall of the hospital. Simply go towards the bridge until you see the “observe” icon. The phone number displayed on the wall is made of two numbers. Subtract the numbers and you’ll get the code for the lock.
Climb to the second floor and look for a hoe in the left corner. Back outside, use the hoe on the half-dug mound and take the wire. Go to the bridge and use it to take out the floating object out. Use the scissors on the teddy bear and go back into the hospital with the key and the teddy bear. Once inside, enter the information room and take the “G” magnet.
Patients room locks
To unlock the door with the magnet icon, take a look at the letters in the “Infromation” room below. The letter “G” is missing and the number 7 is put on its place. Thus the 4-digit number would be the alphabetical number of each letter.
To unlock the room in the corner, take a look at the name plates on the right side of the door. From top to bottom, the patient’s plate will be pulled out differently. When a name plate isn’t pulled out at all, its number is 0.
Inside the rooms, clean up the windows with the teddy-bear and take a look at the number of fingers on the windows. Get both of the tool parts and combine them together. Leave the teddy bear, take the wire and get out.
Mailbox
Back in the patient’s rooms in the hospital, you'll find hand marks on the windows. Count the fingers shown and you will get 4 numbers, which are the pattern for the mailbox lock.
Grab the thread that dropped from the mailbox and combine it with the “G” magnet. Go behind the house and use the magnet on the well to take out another tool. Take the wire and go inside the house. On the second floor, go to the right and use the wire to open the attic. Inside you’ll find another tool. Combine the two together, take the wire and go out.
Drop everything and take the scissors. Go back to the attic in the house and get yourself some rope. Grab the magnet and head to the hospital. On the second floor, throw the rope out the window and climb down. Use the magnet to find a faucet down below.
Use the faucet on the sink behind the house to find a bowl. Go to the boat, take the water out and remember the 3 letters written on it.
3-digit house lock
Go to the second floor in the house and look at the writing above the stairs. From left to right (starting from 1), see the positions of the letters from the boat. The three numbers you get are the code for the lock.
Inside this room you’ll find a book shelf. Take a look at it and remember the number of books on each shelf. Take the wrench and go inside the hospital. On the first floor, go to the right and unscrew the bolts.
Wheel Lock
To unlock the wheel, on the far right end, outside the hospital, take a look at the bookshelf back on the second floor of the house. From top to bottom, count the number of books on each shelf and use them to get the 4-digit number for the wheel lock.
Take the nail clipper and go back to the room with the bookshelf. Grab the pliers from the box and go back to the first floor. Enter the room behind the stairs and open the box in the right corner. Take the crowbar and go to the loosened planks next to the stairs. Use the crowbar to get the coin and go back to the hospital. Go to the washing machine on the second floor and put the coin inside it. Grab the screwdriver and go to the patient room in the left corner. Open the fan on the left, take the “Philips Screwdriver” and head to the boat to sail off.
Posted by: Stinky
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July 9, 2015 6:26 AM