Vile: Exhumed is an operating system sim in the mold of games like Hypnospace Outlaw or Simulacra, and it asks a simple question: What kind of secrets could the innocuous facade of a distinctly ’90s-inspired Windows 2.0-style interface be hiding?
Structurally, solo developer Cara Cadaver’s game has you trawling through the primitive menus and basic graphics of an old PC, searching for the truth behind the disappearance of adult film actress Candy Corpse.
Just like the OS itself, though, Vile: Exhumed is hiding a lot from you at the outset, and things are not as simple as that setup implies. If you want to find out what might have happened to Candy, you’re going to have to put your digital detective hat on, and happily, it’s worth doing so, even if you’ll be left wanting more at the end.
Vile: Exhumed Is a Very Convincing ’90s PC Sim
There’s a refreshing lack of adornment to Vile: Exhumed. As soon as you boot it up, you’ll be faced with a simple login screen that asks you to enter a 4-digit PIN. There’s no fluff, no introductory cutscene explaining who the key players in this story are, and no tutorials to be found either.
That works to its credit; since Vile: Exhumed doesn’t mess around, you’re free to “enjoy” its unsettling, eerily quiet atmosphere right from the get-go. The silence of the operating system is almost oppressive, broken only by the sound of clicking as you navigate clunky menus and positively atavistic-looking websites.
I never felt like Cadaver’s game jumped the shark, either. Its PC simulation remained convincing until the very end, helped along by the eldritch glow of the CRT monitor filter overlaying the “action,” so to speak.
If you don’t have any nostalgia for old-school operating systems, then Vile: Exhumed might not be able to weave its strange magic for you, but I thoroughly enjoyed the matter-of-fact, no-nonsense style in which this ancient PC coughed up its secrets.
You’ll Find a Timely Story in Vile: Exhumed
Those secrets are worth discovering, too. While Vile: Exhumed is nominally the story of Candy Corpse and her disappearance, there’s more to discover inside this particular computer’s memory, not least to whom it belongs and why you’re digging through it.
Unlike the aforementioned Simulacra or its slightly disappointing sequel, Vile: Exhumed doesn’t resort to cheap jump scares, nor does it descend into the valley of daft pseudo-supernatural horror.
The scares are much closer to home, and while I don’t want to spoil anything, the Steam page does make clear mention of “themes of sexual content, violence, and abusive and harmful language,” so you know what kind of realm we’re in here.
Since you’re free to explore the operating system in whatever order you choose, Vile: Exhumed‘s story will likely unfold in a non-linear fashion, and discovering what happened to Candy is just one part of filling in the wider picture.
Great horror is grounded in the real, and that’s certainly the case with Vile: Exhumed. If its story ever threatens to feel silly or outré, the fact that many of its themes still disappointingly resonate in the real world only add to the threat.
Vile: Exhumed‘s Operating System Is Filled With Secrets
Discovering the narrative feels chilling thanks to the plethora of secrets contained within Vile: Exhumed‘s operating system. Some applications will give up their secrets readily, while others require passwords or authentication to access.
You’re left to discover many of these keys by yourself, although hints are frequently available. Making discoveries therefore feels like pulling off great detective work, evoking the quiet satisfaction of getting an old, irascible computer to do what you want in the process.
Some of those secrets can feel a little too esoteric for their own good, however. I never managed to work out what lurked behind the innocuous-seeming perfume website, for instance, and there are a couple of other head-scratchers that defeated me as well.
Still, if you’re the type to pore over games hunting for every scrap of information, then Vile: Exhumed should give you a good couple of hours of entertainment. Unfortunately, however, that’s all it’s going to give you.
Frankly, There’s Just Not Enough of Vile: Exhumed
If I have a core criticism of Vile: Exhumed, it’s that there’s just not enough of it. Just when things are starting to move along and adrenaline is starting to build, it’s over. The ending is a pretty abrupt one, too, although it feels appropriate given what you’re likely to have learned beforehand.
Discovering the story of Candy by digging through old websites and deducing passwords is a hugely enjoyable (if that’s the right word) experience, so the fact that there’s just so little of it is heartbreaking for me.
Cadaver has made it clear Vile: Exhumed is designed to be played in a single sitting, and there’s no save function, nor does it allow you to continue playing after the credits. I sort of understand why from a narrative perspective, but I’d have loved the chance to continue spending time with this throwback machine.
Still, I will always prefer a game that leaves before its time to something that massively outstays its welcome. In being so shockingly brief, Vile: Exhumed avoids the pitfalls of puzzle games that keep going long after their best ideas are spent.
Vile: Exhumed Review | Final Thoughts
Cara Cadaver has crafted a very neat little puzzler in Vile: Exhumed. On one level, it’s a great simulation of a time before user-friendliness and “idiot-proof” operating system design, and on another, it’s an unsettling tale of violence and abuse that may well stay with you (it certainly has with me).
I’d love to see what Cadaver can craft in a larger, more open-ended sandbox environment, but if you’re looking for a (very) tightly-plotted experience that doesn’t stick around after it’s not welcome, Vile: Exhumed will provide.
Vile: Exhumed was reviewed on PC with a copy provided by the publisher over the course of around 2 hours of gameplay – all screenshots were taken during the process of review.
Disclaimer: Samuel Guglielmo, our reviews editor, is an employee of Vile: Exhumed publisher DreadXP. He was not involved in the editing or publication of this review.
