Experience Liminal Fear in VR With POOLS; Non-VR Version Also Released
- POOLS is a liminal walking simulator released for PS5, PS VR2, and PC, focusing on strange, watery environments.
- The game generates unease through atmosphere and psychological fears (like getting lost) rather than using monsters or jump scares.
- The console versions feature enhanced immersion using detailed DualSense haptics, with the PS VR2 version using foveated rendering.
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Endless Depths
POOLS, the creepy liminal walking simulator by Finnish studio Tensori, is out now on PS5 and PS VR2. Both make full use of DualSense haptics, with the VR mode being a completely rebuilt version rather than a port. POOLS was released on PC late last year, and the App Store on Nov. 6.
Despite appearances, POOLS isn’t a typical horror game. Although it owes a debt of inspiration to The Backrooms, the developers promise that the atmosphere is more one of unease than outright terror – although they can’t promise that players won’t get scared as they try to find a way out.
“No monsters chasing you or jumping towards your screen, but the game can feel oppressive at times by invoking fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and otherworldly architecture,” Tensori said on the game’s official site.
“There’s no typical story, no characters to meet, and you won’t find any notes in the game. But as you explore and advance further, you start to notice that the game’s world changes around you.”
Backrooms and Beyond
Liminal horror is experiencing something of a moment: check any game platform store for titles tagged “liminal” or “backrooms” and it’ll bring up hundreds of games. Head over to social media, and there’s a ton of creators and accounts focused on liminal horror and eerie spaces, such as Vaporama Vision and urban explorer channels.
The latter is especially influenced by the work of Kane Pixels, the creator of The Backrooms series (which currently has a movie in development) and follow-up videos The Oldest View. His work tends to involve explicit horror elements as an unusual creation stalks the “viewer,” but other liminal art, like POOLS, put a focus on uncanny juxtaposition – like finding a child’s ballpit inside an otherwise empty house.
A lot of liminal video games use a found footage or at least retro video aesthetic; POOLS largely forgoes this but a similar game released at the start of this year, Dreamcore, went all-on on this style. This title has more of an anthology feel, as different levels take place in different locations, including “Eternal Suburbia” and a labyrinthine pool room. A new location, a hotel, was added as a free update on Nov. 14.
You Can Almost Smell the Chlorine
Tensori released a free update for PC players back in April (Chapter 0, unlocked after completing the main chapters) and added a VR version, also as a free update, in May. However, the studio has emphasised that the PS5 version should feel more immersive, even if gamers only play the non-VR version.
“First, we wanted to give each surface that you walk on its own ‘feeling’. You can feel subtle vibrations on each footstep you’ll take, and every surface has its own haptic feel and intensity. In some places, your footsteps will feel light and normal, while in some you will feel resistance. Walking in water also creates different types of feedback depending on your depth and movement speed.”
The PS VR2 version doesn’t skimp on immersive details, either. It uses eye-tracked foveated rendering for maximum visual quality and performance (the gameworld outside line-of-sight is rendered at lower quality). As such, VR players can expect at least 90 FPS without reprojection.
Player and critic reviews have largely been very positive, for the PC version, with only minor complaints about the performance (especially in VR).
“If you like liminal spaces, you’ll love this one. It nails the tone and atmosphere perfectly,” reads one player review.
“If you’ve played Dreamcore and got this, then you won’t be disappointed. It actually is less overwhelming due to how the levels are set up, but certainly keeps the fear going throughout, even if there aren’t jumpscares,” reads another.
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