So many complex emotions that I'm struggling to put into words after playing this game! But to summarize, I think it's a masterpiece :')
**THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN POTENTIAL SPOILERS**
I felt that the start was a bit slow as you explore the rooms one by one & gather items, but the contrast with how quickly everything escalated later on made me change my mind, as it made me feel like the initial mystery was building up to that point. I also like how you can immediately tell something is wrong at the start of the game, but you can't quite put your finger on what it is. The game really makes you sit with the vague sense of unease with subtle hints dropped in the characters' dialogue & environmental design, then shocks you with the sudden distortion.
The title of the game truly is apt. No outright jump-scares, but it delivers with the eerie atmosphere & body horror elements. It made me feel unsettled & disturbed at all the right moments.
I can tell that a lot of effort & love was put into making this game! The item descriptions in Lera's inventory fill in her backstory though they may seem like mundane everyday objects. The environmental design hints at the era she lives in & adds to world-building. Even the horror is not just there for show but carries significance in terms of symbolism & the themes of this game.
**DEFINITE SPOILERS BELOW**
That being said, this game explores some very deep & dark themes, like existential dread, nihilism, suicide, mortality, human suffering & perhaps war. I'm not sure if my interpretations are right but I felt that: The symbolism of the body as a prison of flesh for the tormented mind was cleverly implied by all the body horror. The futility of Lera's struggle was alluded to by how she can't leave the building. And, the final choice seems to depict the dichotomy of how humans can face their own mortality - finding peace & happiness in acceptance VS choosing to fight till the very end to maintain one's sense of autonomy.
I got the True End & Happy End. To me, both were bittersweet given the events that took place in the "real world". We as players can only hope that either way, Lera chose a path that she wouldn't regret.
I can't help but wonder though if (1) there's a Bad End & (2) what happened to Nika after each of the endings. Is she a figment of Lera's dying mind which disappears post-mortem? Or does she symbolize an entity like the human will? The "Nika" in each of us representing the internal conflict of how easy it is to lure ourselves into resignation when confronted with human suffering VS the sacrifice we must make to keep fighting to live & to love... In a sense, this would mean Nika is forever trapped repeating this cycle within the collective human consciousness, which is a very sad fate for her. ><
Regardless, it was an amazing & thought-provoking experience to play this game! Thank you to the developer for creating it~