Bendy and the Ink Machine Review: A Horrifying and Fun Game of the Past
Do you like horror, cartoons, and 60s anime? Do you ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes in the studio, how these creative ideas come alive (maybe too alive)? Would it be a calm or a horrifying place to work, especially after hours? What really happens with ideas that are abandoned, mistreated, or put aside when everything goes downhill? Whose feelings were actually hurt? Would you... care to find out?
Bendy and the Ink Machine (released in February 2017), a horrifying episodic survival horror game developed by TheMeatly and Kindly Beast, is a creative and interestingly dark game that manages to capture the thoughts and feelings of abandonment and revenge. The style is reminiscent of older cartoons and anime, such as Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and Disney's Mickey Mouse, but fans have called it "the first puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons."
A Dive Into the Puzzle-Solving Adventure Gameplay
Bendy and the Ink Machine features Henry Stein, a retired animator who returns to the Joey Drew Studios building he previously worked in during the 1960s, after receiving an invitation from an old friend and founder, Joey Drew. Henry eventually discovers the living nightmare within the defunct animation studio – the devouring ink from the ink machine. And so, the player must travel down level by level to go deeper underground and unravel the haunting secrets of the past in the studio.
The game allows its players to experience a first-person view, and unlike the standard puzzle game, Bendy and the Ink Machine features a blend of puzzle-solving, environment exploration, and combat gameplay. The player collects items to unlock activities in their adventure, but you have to be careful not to get too close to the patches of ink since it can suck you in.
As you progress deeper, there are many exploration surprises along the way, like the introduction of new enemies, stories, and items to collect. You'll find the stranded characters, along with numerous audio logs and clues from past workers that can help you through your journey. Although some may turn out to be more concerning as a warning, so watch out for those!
Meanwhile, the combat style mainly focuses on and varies with the different weapons given to you, like the axe, pipe, and plunger. The game also offers long-range weapons, like the Tommy gun (that's if no one decides to keep it, that is) and empty soup cans. Like all puzzle and strategy games, encountering the enemy requires a level of tactics to counter the different strength levels, damage, and resilience to weapons. Failure to do so results in damage to your character's health and even death.
The player can also retreat inside a small miracle station that looks like a photo station, which helps you recover health. It also keeps you out of sight, since you don't know what's out to get you, after all. There are also little easter eggs referencing creator theMeatly and Mike Mood's previous games. One of these is the bacon soup cans that are scattered along the way, and you may want to keep them if you want to stay alive in the game.
A Dive Into the Haunting Plot
The game is divided into five chapters, each a deeper level as Henry navigates through the ink-covered halls of Joey Drew Studios. (Contains some spoilers!)
The first chapter, titled "Moving Pictures," is where we are first introduced to the animation studio and the character you're playing. This chapter eases you into the game with simple tasks like finding the ink machine, finding items to boot it up, looking at ways to fire up the machine, and bringing it up from the depths of the underground. The chapter sparks curiosity – How deep is the ink machine? Where does it lead you? Where does it come from? These are some of the questions that may go through your mind, as well as the character Henry you are playing as.
Things get a bit more interesting after you find the items and the machine is activated, because a large flood of ink pours out of the machine and we have our first encounter the the main antagonist, Bendy. One would think escape through the exit is easy, but it isn't that simple! No, the floor collapses and you fall; it is an old building after all.
Chapter One offers a nice way of easing you into the horror game. With its simple gameplay and room for development, I find that I like how it gives us a peek into the mystery and lets us theorize what happens next. This is only the start of Henry's journey.
The second chapter, titled "The Old Song," is where you'll have your second encounter with Sammy, a previous employee, after waking up from a nightmare. This is also where you learn how to use your first weapon, the axe, and use it to clear your path to unlock more sinister secrets. These include clues about the ink machine, why and how it was created. One of these is the tape that explains Sammy's job role and what it was like to work at Joey Drew Studios.
Chapter Two highlights more interaction with characters, as well as more puzzle-solving and exploration. It gives some snippets of the ink machine being pulled down, like it's dragging you down with it. Curiosity takes over when you go further down into the depths. Are the new characters friends or foes?
I also feel that this chapter gives you a clearer idea of the game. It's more straightforward and detailed than the last chapter, with more rooms, stories, and a better flow between them.
The third chapter, titled "Rise and Fall," is where you can see the development of the visuals and how the story starts to entice you in. The encounters and puzzles get more interesting, and at this point, it's nerve-wracking to think where you are and who could be around the corner. Can you make friends just by giving soup? Who knows.
You'll also meet a twisted angel who guides you through as you find machine parts for her and even destroy some of those creepy-looking cutouts. What is her story? Why does she need all those items? That's for you to find out....
Chapter Three is where I believe the story takes a turn for the better. In the previous chapters, some areas felt repetitive to explore, but Chapter Three displays a variety of different angles and paths. Which story do you want to learn about more? Choose wisely since there's no going back from here. You may want to rethink Angels, as they have more secrets than you may think. This chapter may be slightly longer than the last, but I think it does a good job of story development.
The fourth chapter is titled "Colossal Wonders" and is where Henry needs to navigate further and into an abandoned amusement park called 'Bendy Land'. Then you wonder, how the hell is this studio so big!?
The story and aesthetic of the game stand out in this chapter as you play a variety of mini-games to fend off more enemies who try and block your way. Then, we ultimately discover a new enemy to be wary of. The tasks here help you power the main attraction of the haunted house (a very generic gameplay element in horror games), but it also makes you question – What is in this haunted house that makes it so important? What battle lies ahead? Who will you help, and who will you fight? Who's on your side, and who's not?
Chapter Three is personally my favorite chapter because of the puzzles we have to work our way through. I liked how there was more of a fight in this one compared to the previous chapters, and it uses strategy a bit more, which I enjoyed.
The fifth chapter, titled "The Last Reel," is where our journey with Henry comes to an end. We've seen in each chapter how the ink machine was being lowered, but this is where it stops since we're finally at the bottom of the studio. At this point, you've gained and lost both allies and enemies. Now, you find yourself being led by new characters, and they reveal what's being hidden in the walls and how to escape the Ink Demon. Can you trust them? Is this really the end of the Ink Demon...?
Again, the chapter features more puzzles, adventures, and final secrets. Chapter Five wraps up the story nicely and gives a backstory for the antagonist, Bendy, and why he turned out the way that he did. All in all, I like how all the chapters so far guided us through one path, but allowed the use of our imagination, unlike the games with too many confusing and boring endings. This game is similar to the horror game Angels of Death by Hoshikuzu KRNKRN, which also primally had one ending with a lot of story to discover and secrets to uncover.
My Honest Experience in the Journey of Building the Ink Machine
Concept-wise, Bendy and the Ink Machine is an interesting and creative entry into the horror game genre. The game's nature and focus on the past are a brilliant alternative to puzzle-solving horror games like Little Nightmares and Resident Evil. It may be an older game, but its simple concept enhances the overall experience since it plays on the use of imagination. I appreciate the game's natural progression of its story development, especially since I find that it can be boring when a story is so detailed right off the start.
Aesthetically, the game has a simplicity to it, like what you would find in a 1960s anime like Astro Boy and RPG games like Angel of Death and Corpse Party. I find that games like this pique the imagination and curiosity by giving us the story bit by bit. Bendy and the Ink Machine also features a unique combination of traditional animation and 3D graphics, creating an interesting, horrific visual style. Additionally, the use of faded black and yellow colors stimulates a sense of the past, which gives a nostalgic yet creepy vibe.
Although the characters may be similar in design, many unique elements visualise their personality. As the chapters progress, it is obvious how the structure of the game changes as they add more details to each and every corner. I also noticed how the cutscenes become smoother later on, which goes off to show the improvement in the game's development.
Mechanics-wise, the gameplay is the usual run, jump, shoot, and throw, depending on who you are up against. The controls and instructions are fairly easy to learn and understand. However, with the game being quite simple, I find that the mechanics can be good in some areas and others, not so much. For instance, the player can't hold multiple weapons at once. Despite the variety of weapons in the game (especially in Chapter 3), the player cannot keep or switch them, and is only allocated one weapon for the task at hand.
Lastly, Bendy and the Ink Machine has a variety of accessibility options, such as resolution options, custom volume controls, sensitivity, and more. Unfortunately, dialogue is only available in English; however, there is a variety of different languages for the subtitles, so it can be played and enjoyed by all.
Bendy and the Ink Machine Review Wrap-up
Bendy and the Ink Machine is overall a fun and interesting game. It's also one way to get into the horror genre, especially if you like puzzles to solve, codes to crack, and secrets to explore. In addition, the mix of traditional art and the 3D elements is a unique visual style that everyone can enjoy and appreciate. Each chapter has a good pace and a haunting development, and as someone who has played this game since its early days (when the chapter was developed and released one by one), I believe that the story really immerses you in a journey like no other.
There are upcoming additions to the franchise that have been announced, ones that dive into the other perspectives with new characters to learn about. For those wanting to get into the franchise, the game is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox. Normally priced at £15.49 (Approx. $20.00) on Steam, however, if bought through the current summer sale, you can get 60% off, though only until the 10th July, so get it while you can!
For more updates on upcoming games, make sure you follow TheMeatly's social media on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and the TheMeatly and JoeyDrewStudios official websites, as well as their partner Kindly Beast.
© 2017-2025 Joey Drew Studios Inc.
Anime Atelier received a copy of the game.
