Iron Blight dragged me out of my FPS comfort zone, kicking and screaming

I think we, as gamers, all have our favorite genres. Even if we try to keep balanced and varied game libraries, there are always a few that keep us coming back and others we don't tend to play at all. For me, one genre that gets neglected is FPS games, but I've found one that makes me want to stray from my comfort zone: Iron Blight.  

Iron Blight is a first-person horror game by Ronesans Interactive that arms you with guns and sends you out into a PSX-style Russian town that's filled with what I can only describe as zombies with the sniffles. It is dark, scary, and an absolute wild ride. 

Questionable security measures

After the prologue, which is the epitome of the calm before the storm, Iron Blight throws you into the middle of the aftermath of an outbreak that apparently turns people into mindless, violent zombies. You're in a now-abandoned dormitory, surrounded by the undead, and completely unarmed, at least to begin with. 

Thankfully, the former inhabitants of this dormitory seem to have had incredibly lax security measures for their weapons and ammunition storage, because you can find plenty of both as you explore and try to fight your way out of the zombie-filled halls. This could be different depending on difficulty, mind you; I'm playing on story mode, so your experience may vary. 

According to the Steam page, I've been playing Iron Blight all wrong, which honestly isn't all that surprising considering I don't play too many games of the genre. You're supposed to methodically pick your battles and ration your supplies… which probably means I'm being helped way more than I realized by playing in story mode. 

A question of speed

In Iron Blight, the zombies do not seem to have a default speed setting, which is actually something of a welcome change from other zombie-featuring horror games I've played. Usually, they're either the type to run at you full pelt and make you need the backup pants, or they amble toward you so slowly that you've got time for a smoke break before you need to worry about them. 

Iron Blight keeps you on your toes, and on the edge of your seat, by zombies who seem to want to mix things up a bit. It's easy to get complacent when the last few you've encountered are the slow-strolling variety, only to suddenly run into a mob of zombies that break into a sprint at the sight of you. To make it worse, there's no HUD, so you have to check how many bullets you have left manually.

You also aren't safe even if you shut yourself in a room, which is something else I'm neither used to nor happy about. At one point, I locked myself in a little shed thinking I would be safe for a few moments, only to find out the zombies apparently had enough of their faculties about them to work together and break down the damn door. 

I did some sprinting myself at that point. In circles, because the only reason I was hiding in the first place was that I got lost and needed to check my map. 

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases

As with most post- or peri-apocalyptic situations, the source of the contagion in Iron Blight remains unknown, at least to the point I've reached. As far as I can tell, this zombification happened within the space of 12 hours, which is a staggeringly fast world-ending event. 

However, I can tell you at least one of the symptoms: sneezes. 

The zombies in Iron Blight, whether slow or fast, can all sneeze on you, spraying you with apparently acidic green snot that applies damage. Thankfully, canned food items are as common as ammunition, and eating them straight out of the tin is enough to heal you from any effects the sneezes might have caused. 

The horrors you can't escape

I'm beginning to think that, while I love horror games, I might also not be well suited to them. This is the third game I've played and written about in a week that has given me cause to write “I screamed.” In my defence, these zombies are incredibly light-footed and can easily sneak up behind you when you least expect it. 

Iron Blight is definitely up there in terms of games that have caused my heart to race. I've found myself quickly opening doors and backing away just in case something pops out, and doing a quick scan of every room to see if any zombies are awaiting my entrance. 

The near-constant, gut-wrenching screaming in the background doesn't help, either, but it's such a heavy reminder of the danger that lurks around every corner. You never get any closer to it, but it never fades either; it's as if the sound is following you, reminding you that you're never safe.

Iron Blight is a terrifying PSX horror game that will keep you on the edge of your seat in every way you can imagine. It’s out now on Steam, and I definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re a fan of horror games with an apocalyptic survival element.