Beyond Metal: Vile - Exhumed
Today I will excercise the main point of this blog, which is writing about anything the hell I want to. Albeit I was hesitating a little, as the subject of today's article is not going to be easy to discuss. Therefore for a change, I decided to write about a computer game, with a very Metal name, Vile: Exhumed. The game itself is a remake of a project from 2024, namely Vile (hence the "Exhumed" part). The idea behind it was to expand the original version, and release it on Steam. Nonetheless, the game was removed from the platform (similarly to the other controversial title, "No Mercy"), which provoked a heated discussion on da internet.
But unlike the competition, Vile is a well made game, albeit... Yeah, about that...
I don't remember the last time I was so torn over someone's masterpiece. Both sides of the argument have solid arguments in their favor. Indeed, it's a fact that many projects on Steam don't pull the punch and can be even more graphic (often-mentioned GTA series, which I personally hate for being extremely stupid). On the other hand, the violence and content that appears in Vile is very realistic, and reminds me of the infamous creepypastas (internet legends), and it's closer to what I would call a "snuff" exploitation game.
Self-described, as a game about "mysoginistic entitlement" was already a red flag for me. And indeed, it turned out correct. In this game, we enter the world of evil (an anagram of Vile, wonder if it was a conscious choice by the creator), ruthless, selfish men, who enjoy watching women getting hurt. Doesn't sound too inviting, right?
The gameplay is deceptively simple - you browse through the computer of one such nasty creep. The plot itself is very sneaky, as it uncovers the horrors through interacting with various programs. The story takes place in the late 90s / early 00s (this by itself is something of a weird trend among not only gamemakers, but also filmmakers as well). You play as Shawn, born 1972, who enjoys porn mixed with gore, and participates in a community trading various video nasties, searching for the "real stuff" for his own personal project. He is also a fan of Candy Corpse, a niche adult entertainer, who has a cult following, but who suddenly "retired". Or did she?
Gradually, you uncover (or rather, exhume) the mystery, by launching various programs in your OS. In order to do so, you will need to enter many passwords, and that's the main meat of the game. Clues for them are spread everywhere, but thankfully, the author of the game released a guide / walkthrough recently, which makes "beating" the game (both figuratively, and literally) much easier. And what you will discover, will at best, leave you disturbed. The game does not have a save function, as it can be finished in an hour or less, depending on your decyphering skills. There is only one ending, and it's a pretty clever and satisfying one. You can reach it quite early, which is why this game is usually played at least twice - to discover further the secrets that lie asleep within the files.
The story itself reminded me a little of the case of Goatlord's guitarist and songwriter, who owned a snuff website BloodShows (obviously defunct). In 2015 he had some mental breakdown, over break-up, and as a result, he killed his love / neighbor, and her son, before committing suicide. That's what makes Vile feel real, because similar thing could, or did happen in our grotesque world.
But to not make everything swell, I will also have to play the role of a soccer mom. Personally, I am not surprised at all that Steam removed the game, as the gore presented here is really visceral and nauseating. It's not Postal, when it's so over-the-top and cartoonish, to the point of becoming a satire. The images that can be discovered, will stay with you, and are as far from being tasteful and political correctness as you can imagine. They will have some effect on your mind, whether consciously or not. In this regard, Steam made the logical call, especially that it doesn't harm the creator, as they can still make money off the game, and such controversies usually bring notoriety and fame to the projects, as well as free promotion - after all, I myself probably wouldn't write about it otherwise. Now, the author will obviously disagree with me, but should keep one thing in mind - allowing such games, would attract plenty of copycats, who would create similar stuff, only unironically and genuinely - sometimes it's better to sacrifice one good title, to avoid the flood of garbage. After all, Steam has a right to decide what they want to promote, just like I do.
Another thing that you have to take into account, is that it's another modern game going the standard route of males being presented in an extremely depressing, and negative light. There are some allusions to "internet culture", so you have been warned. Personally, I wonder how would look a game exploring in a similar way, the darker aspects of women and "misandrist entitlement". It would probably be harder to do so, without resulting in a harsher backlash from various groups.
Let's also discuss the adult "entertainment" industry. It's a well known fact that this industry is soaked deep knee with illegal activities, and quite often it has connections to organized crime, and women trafficking. There are books and articles about the destructive role of this industry for society in general, including problems, like "consumers" of such content being unable to start a healthy relationship, not to mention the objectification of people (not only women). It's certainly not "another job", as this game painfully shows. Alas, that's enough of me being a moral crusader.
We don't know much about Candy Corpse's background, or what made her want to become a "performer". It's not a big deal, because it doesn't affect the experience, but it does feel like a missed opportunity. Maybe the author should consider writing a short novel, as an extra for people who paid for game (hint hint)?
One minor detail that I found awkward - during the credits, there is a heartfelt dedication from the author to her/his loved one - I'm not really sure if it was a good idea - I don't think I would be happy if my significant other put my name in a snuff game about kidnapping and murdering women, but maybe I am weird. Oh well.
All in all, it's certainly a game that you should give a try (if you're above 21+ age, and have a hard stomach). You can also support the creator (to which I urge you to do so), using the link below:
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