Nerds That Geek Game Review – ‘Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​Even though it’s been twenty years, I can still remember the craze that The Blair Witch Project engendered amongst the horror community. Because that particular film was revolutionary in every single sense of the word, since it gave birth to the found footage subgenre that filmmakers everywhere have taken advantage of, but more importantly, it ignited our imaginations like never before. For this film came out in the midst of a technological revolution, one that allowed for everyone to begin to enjoy the compendium of human knowledge with the click of a button. So, to stumble upon a story that was able to invoke the unknown was quite the wonderful cinematic discovery.
 
But as is always the case when the hot new thing hits the market, others want to take part in the mythos and expand it further by way of merchandising and spinoffs. But of the many books and comics and other goodies that this movie inspired with its success, one particular spinoff that truly caught my eye, was a trilogy of video games immersed within the world of the Blair Witch that were released in 2000. Because these games worked hard to expand upon the moments that left us curious or haunted in regard to the movie, and while the overall results were mixed at best, this trilogy has a soft spot in my heart simply due to the fact that they put in the most effort into expanding the legend of the Blair Witch and really my personal favorite when it comes to this trilogy was the first game, Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr.
 
Because this particular tale allowed for the player to step into the world of Burkittsville, Maryland, mere days after Rustin Parr revealed to the world what he had done in the basement of his home and what made this investigation so unique and so awesome, at least for me, is that it managed to create a gaming crossover event as well. For the studio behind the incredible game Nocturne, Terminal Reality, handled the production of this entry. Which means that the Spookhouse popped up in this particular tale and it is one of their agents that works to figure out as to whether or not Rustin Parr was a bloodthirsty serial killer, or a guy truly under the influence of something otherworldly, and the investigation in question is where this game shines, since this is where some scary stuff comes into play.
 
For the surrounding woods and various places from the movie are on full display here and these places are filled with strange sounds and sinister shadows and as ‘Doc’ Holliday’s investigation continues along, those shadows and sounds begin to reveal themselves to the player and that leads to some terrific jump scares and out right terrifying moments. In fact, I’ll never forget the moment I dared to dip my character’s toes into the legendary Tappy East Creek, only to have a massive, rotten hand burst out from the water and pull her beneath the surface. Because I did not see that coming and it definitely made me yelp in surprise and the wonder of this game doesn’t end there, since the true source of the Witch’s power is revealed late in the game, leading to an intense climax that leaves one to wonder if you’ve truly done enough to end her reign of terror.
 
If anything, it’s clear that a lot of care went into this particular game, and the folks at Terminal Reality wanted to tell a quality and engrossing story that brought the mythos of the Blair Witch to new heights, and they really did succeed at that. Because I found the new twists and turns that this game had to offer quite fascinating when all is said and done, and tossing the Spookhouse into the mix was equally as rewarding and truly, this adventure left me quite excited to play the other volumes in this trilogy that other studios were preparing. But before we dive into those sequels and their flaws, in the here and the now, it’s best we bask in the wonder of this particular game. Because it did a fine job of recreating the eerie atmosphere of the movie and if by chance you want to check it out, your best bet is to swing by YouTube since this game has faded from the market and I do hope you give it a look since it really was, something special

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