One click and you're done. Thank you!
When it comes to haunting experiences, Dreadline Express is a game that should come to mind, as it doesn’t rely on jump scares or overly exaggerated set pieces but instead relies on its atmosphere and its characters to keep you on edge as you try to solve the mystery of why you are on the last human train and where it is going.
During my time with Dreadline Express, I was able to work through the game and try to achieve all its different endings, while trying out the different card combinations to see what kind of reaction they would achieve when interacting with the world and the characters within.
The Card Mechanic in Dreadline Express is Fun to Experiment With
The first thing I would like to talk about is the main mechanic within Dreadline Express, and that is the card mechanic, as this was really interesting and fun to play around with, as it provided so many options that I could discover.
Straight from the get-go, the card mechanic is the key to how you will explore the game world of Dreadline Express, as you will need to look around the game world and investigate everything to both discover new cards and to learn more about the game world that you are searching through.
For me, it was quite a fun experience trying to figure out what the different cards would do if I interacted with certain objects. At the beginning, you are able to interact with a candle to then acquire the Light card, and this card may seem rather simple, but it is quite important and can be used in a few different situations to acquire more cards and more information.
Once you begin to acquire more cards, you don’t just simply use one card at a time to discover what is going on, but you can actually begin to use multiple cards together, which provides you with a whole new set of questions and prompts that you can use to figure out what is going on.
The best part of the card mechanic for me was the actual cards themselves, as their designs are amazing, with many of them being so detailed that I couldn’t help but stare at them for a few moments once I obtained them, and to make them even more interesting, they had their own lore attached to them, so once you acquire a card, you can get a further understanding of what that card is and what it means.
This, for me, is what made Dreadline Express such a unique game, as finding each card and seeing its deep meanings was such an interesting concept, especially in the late game when you figure out what the cards actually are and why they are there.
Although the variety in the card combinations and solutions was a tad overwhelming, it felt perfect for the game, as you aren’t meant to just simply walk around using one card to solve every solution, but instead there is meant to be a challenge of wandering around trying to solve the different mysteries and never knowing what combination will work and why it does work.
That being said, I had a lot of fun searching through the train and finding the different cards and seeing how they changed the world around me while also providing me with more questions than answers so the game could continue forward without being unclear on what I had to do next.
Choices Don’t Just Impact You, But the Characters Around You
Throughout Dreadline Express, your goal is to talk to the different characters within the train and try to ascertain what is going on in this dark world. Sadly, there are only a few different characters you can meet during this adventure, but the great thing about these characters is that each of them is entirely unique and has their own stories for you to uncover.
When it comes to the residents of the last human train in Dreadline Express, they are not as simple as one might think, as their history is something you need to uncover using the card mechanic and talking to the other residents as well.
Whether it be the drunken judge, the shut-away occultist, the orphaned child, or the many other characters within the game, they are each as unique as the last, with each one being brought upon this train for a reason that you must figure out.
Although these characters only really react to the cards you show them, they do in fact have quite a variety of comments that they can make while also having their own ideas and beliefs depending on the cards you show them. For instance, if you show the occult arts card to the occultist, he will react with a lot of information, but if you show the occultist card to the scientist, he won’t be as responsive.
Each of these decisions and interactions can help you piece together what is going on, but they can also cause reactions within the train that you may or may not want. This leans into the idea that your choices have consequences, as you aren’t just simply putting pieces of a puzzle together, but you are also making choices that could affect people’s lives within the train.
One major example is that you can acquire a bottle of Laudanum, which can be used in numerous different ways, and this one simple card can completely change how your game will end. This is something I found quite enjoyable about the game and its NPCs, as your choices and their beliefs are what make the game so unique.
In terms of their actual design, I was really impressed by the NPCs’ character designs, as they were incredibly detailed, with each character again having their own unique aesthetic that isn’t just visual but can also help you figure out who they are and what is a part of their past.
The biggest detail that stood out to me was how the actual NPCs were designed, as they completely embodied the atmosphere that the game was trying to instil within me as they aren’t overly happy characters, and their designs fit this incredibly well, as each character looks drab and dreary, waiting for the end to come.
Because of this, I felt the characters were perfectly designed for the atmosphere the game was putting together, especially when the mood changed within the game, as there were moments where the characters would move and adjust their posture, and seeing their, what I can only describe as tortured bodies, move felt like it was something out of a horror story.
The Tone of the Story Leaves a Pit in Your Stomach
Now, as always, we won’t spoil the overall story, but we will talk about how we felt during the story and how it left us feeling once it had all culminated. It is safe to say that the confusing tone of the game is something that continued from start to finish, as each moment felt as confusing as the last, but that can also be attributed to the freedom you are provided when searching for answers within the game.
Because there are multiple endings and multiple ways to achieve these endings, there are quite a few moments that will leave you questioning what is happening and what each character’s role was in the overall story, but if you are someone like me who is willing to investigate each and every pathway, then you will ultimately find your answers.
When it came to my first ending within Dreadline Express, I was not afraid to say I made some rather poor decisions that led to a rather unsuccessful outcome and some disturbing interactions, but that is what this game is all about; it isn’t about a happy ending. You’re never going to ride off into the sunset.
Although I tried hard to do the right thing, there are quite a few situations in which you can easily upset the NPCs around you, just like asking the wrong questions, making the wrong choice, revealing secrets that aren’t to be revealed, and even sacrificing them to the train.
There are quite a few ways you can end up with a rather bad ending within Dreadline Express, and to me, this fits the entire tone of the game, as it never feels like you are going to a good place or that people will be happy, but instead that you are just delaying the inevitable.
In regard to how the game made me feel once I had completed it, even after trying to get all the different endings, I still felt as though there were a few questions that were left unanswered, but I did enjoy the experience of getting to these answers, as I felt like a detective sussing out how the different characters were involved in the story while also feeling a sense of dread throughout my decisions and actions.
For your next read, why not check out our review of Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy, or check out our review of the Razer Reclusa X Mini 65% Keyboard.
Thumb Wars reviews every game based upon the structure of our review policy, and every review is on OpenCritic.
Liam is a Senior Editor, Writer, and Critic for Thumb Wars and has been working with the team since day one. Liam is a big fan of all things gaming, as you will catch him playing all of the new releases from every genre you can imagine. Whether you find Liam gaming just for fun or spending his free time streaming, you will always find a smile on his face when it comes to all things gaming.
