<p><strong><em>Night Trap: 25th Anniversary Edition</em></strong></p>

- Sharmine Ishak

The return of a cult classic

When it was released in 1992, Night Trap stirred quite a controversy, sparking a debate around violence in video games, which would eventually culminate with the establishment of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). Despite being a pioneer in its time for the use of full motion video, the game received ire from the U.S. Congress for promoting realistic violence and sexual aggression against women. As a result, Night Trap was pulled from the shelves, sealing its place in video game history as a cult classic.

25 years later, the game is back with an anniversary edition, remastered in all its glory. In spite of all its notoriety in the early 90’s, Night Trap is tame compared to today’s more graphic and gory titles, if not more amusing. Playing out like a B-grade slasher horror flick, Night Trap puts players in the shoes of a member of the ill-named S.C.A.T. (Special Control Attack Team), tasked with protecting a group of girls in a home besieged by mysterious creatures known as Augers.

It is a simple premise that is essentially a ‘Choose Your Adventure’ title at heart: players watch over a series of eight CCTV surveillance cameras around a mansion, and activate a series of traps to capture and prevent the Augers from harming the girls. What unfolds on-screen depends on how successful players are in triggering the traps in the right rooms at the right time. Fail too many times at trapping the Augers, and it’s game over.