This is a game that although apparently wasn't popular, it garnered quite a bit of conversation. It was controversial for being a gorefest, and wasn't even received well by critics upon its release, at least according to metacritic. However, this ended up becoming a cult classic. I consider it one of my favourite games as well. This is a MUST if you are a fan of the surreal, the macabre, and pitch black comedy.
This is a point-and-click adventure, so it all depends on how the story is. You wake up in a small 1950s town with amnesia. This has the basic horror trope where the town just seems completely off. These are 1950s and American culture stereotypes ramped up to 11. Not regular people. The horror trope of the town being completely off is very effective thanks to these characters. On top of it being horrifying, these characters can be hilarious. Every person talks about the importance of the lodge, a mysterious building in the middle of the town. To join it, you must first file a paper application, and then do a series of tasks. These tasks slowly become more evil as they go on. The gameplay does change to more puzzle and combat oriented in the final 3rd of the game instead of a point-and-click adventure. Some may be turned off by how clunky the combat can be. I will admit that it is, but I also believe that it is a part of the game's charm. There are also quite a lot of unanswered questions, and many wtf moments, but it adds to the surreal world, and once again is part of the game's charm.
The main draw of the game is just how hilarious this is. If you find stuff like people crying over a dead body that is right in front of them, and eating pie at the same time as being funny, then you can enjoy this. There are many scenes like this that are completely pitch black in terms of comedy. It also has a lot of satire based on the American 50s culture which I really enjoyed. However, there are a few homosexual stereotypes in this game that I found didn't age well. It was quite offensive. However, it may also be seen as a satire on the homophobia of America in the 1950s.
This game is mostly known for its gore, and it certainly lives up to its reputation. The violence is at an absolutely ridiculous level. Everything from extreme S&M to cannibal children (who you end up killing). A lot of the humour can be slapstick too, but they actually show consequences to them, making them a lot more horrifying and in my opinion, funny. However, this isn't just a mindless gorefest. This has a message about the connection between violence in the media and real life violence. It also explores the fascination of violence in American culture. It's actually quite smart, and since this is still talked about to this day, I found it to still be relevant.
I definitely recommend this if you want something smarter than the average game. I also recommend this if you want to explore a different type of game. One with a rare kind of surreal and pitch black comedic charm. This game is perfect to me.