Review: Horror Game 'Tai Ương' Exposes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Our Culture

Tai Ương is a Vietnamese horror game that has made waves in gaming communities both nationwide and internationally, thanks to its layered narrative, chilling atmosphere, and meticulously crafted game environment. The title refers to a term used when a series of consecutive tragedies befall a family, which perfectly fits the mysterious deaths plaguing the family of young Lê Đặng Nhật Huy. Players start the game in the first-person perspective of Huy, amid the funeral of both his parents and his younger sister, whose passing preceded theirs.

The opening scene is oppressive and claustrophobic, with caskets and altars compressing the room despite the bright sunlight. Players catch a glimpse of the bloody body of Huyên, Huy's sister, and begin to suspect something amiss about her death. Huy then moves to a rental and embarks on a journey into lucid dreaming at the behest of an eccentric medium, hoping to unravel the enigma behind his family's tragedies.

The first chapter begins with a familiar horror trope: a supernatural encounter compels the main character to seek answers. However, the indie teams Rare Reversee Gaming and Beaztek Studio execute this common hook in an exciting, unprecedentedly Vietnamese setting. The game is arguably the most impressive portrayal of Vietnam in a game to date, with standout set designs including a 1990s home, a gritty Saigon tenement, and hellish dreamscapes.

The environment is familiar in the most frightening way for Vietnamese players, with dimly lit corridors, mid-century bookshelves, and altars with bananas and photo frames. The puzzles are not overly complicated but require thorough exploration and repeated deaths to figure out. The game is enriched with lore-building fragments like newspaper cutouts, handwritten letters, and a radio program, revealing the darker sides of Huy's family dynamics.

While narrative and lore are shining strengths, control, physics, and animation are sometimes underwhelming, with robotic animation and clunky controls. Despite these flaws, Tai Ương offers a rewarding and immersive experience, showcasing Vietnamese culture in both its bright and dark aspects, from spirituality and community to infidelity and family dysfunction.