Darkfield - VISITORS product reviews

After the incredibly eye-opening experience that was DOUBLE, it's safe to say that my partner and I have been looking forward to the next chapter. I was patiently waiting, unable to bring myself to uninstall the Darkfield Radio app from my phone, and she was constantly remembering how freaked out she was, and how she had been recommending all of her couple friends to purchase tickets and try it out. It should be no surprise that we were ecstatic when we found out about VISITORS, unfortunately, I can't say that it had the same effect on me this time around.

There are a few main differences that I found between this audio narrative, compared with its predecessor; the location, the setup, and the level of participation. DOUBLE was set in the kitchen, as opposed to the living room which VISITORS uses and, well, living rooms are sparse when it comes to significant unique noises. Where the noise of a glass being knocked across a countertop can create an almost visceral reaction, it's something that we can instantly picture in our minds. Trawling through a cutlery drawer, or switching frequencies on an old radio, these are all very unique sounds that create a strong connection and come together to form a picture in your mind our where you are. VISITORS didn't do that.

As this story had characters that are unable to physically interact with anything, it meant there was a huge lack of storytelling and set composition was lacking these unique sounds. Where we were before asked to interact with an object before setting it aside, now we jumped straight into the story with no context and minimal direction. I wasn't visualising myself sitting in a perfectly choreographed room of Darkfield's design. I was simply sitting in my lounge. In the dark. With my eyes closed.

The final main difference I slightly touched upon was the participation levels. Prior, all of the participation and directions were given at the start, and the rest was a brilliantly composed audio piece that one enjoyed from the chair. Not so this time. Be prepared to be asked to do things. Be prepared to do them. It wasn't a huge issue for myself as I picked up on most of the cues, but my partner stuck firm to her chair and was a little confused in the process. This is definitely an area that needs some work in the future to ensure directions are received organically but are still clearly instructions.

Regardless of its differences, VISITORS still gets the 3D audio right. How they are able to get such depth and range built into the audio, I don't know and doubt I could ever learn. The ability to pinpoint and place the source of a sound is immediately perplexing but impressive at the same time. The sound is coming from your headphones and nowhere else, and yet I can hear a voice whispering in my ear over my shoulder, I hear the beads as they move between my partner and me, and I can hear a visitor whispering to my partner a few metres away. The composition is impressive, but as it is nearly all dialogue-based, it can only be so impressive.

VISITORS still managed to give the nerves a twang from time to time, and actually moving around with your eyes closed can really mess with your internal geography, but if you are willing to let yourself go and live in the moment, this is a unique experience that I have yet to experience anywhere else. For only $20 there is little reason not to try this out. At the same time though, DOUBLE is still available, so there is that option too.