GRcade

So unless I've missed it we've got the following cliches and possible horror staples in play

Native Americans - pissed off, possible curse.
Creepy Gas Mask Man
Creatures in the woods
Abandoned Mental Hospital (although Gas Mask Man seems to come from here)
Abdndoned Mine (did they dig something up, get trapped and become mole people? Although in 50 years that's not much time to devolve)
Escaped Convict
Psycho killer

(Admittedly some of those could be red herrings, or linked in a way I don't know).

There's "obviously" creatures. Noises, corpes, the night vision etc. Maybe Werewolf or something? Managed to get to Jess alive (I presume she'd have been dead if I took longer routes) so for her to die anyway felt like the game "correcting" to reach the same outcome. No way a normal person dragged her that far/fast - and there was "something" when Mike lit the lighter - although he didn't see it. Don't know why it wouldn't have attacked him though. And Gas Mask man - he couldn't have taken Jess/got up there that quick, but he's in the area? Fairly sure you saw his shadow following Mike/Jess as well...plus throwing the phone through the window doesn't feel something a creature would do. Odd. Mike's got the "hero" presentation now. So presumably he's totally 100% not invovled/screwing with anyone.

Psycho killer - presumed this was Josh to be honest. They've stressed his scheming, and he made a point saying Chris/Ash needed a "event" to push them together. Plus he's an arse hole. Plus he's the only character (although I'm not sure about Em) that you haven't played as. So thought it was all a prank. However based on outcome of a choice that doesn't look likely . Sorry Josh! Love you really brah! Odd in that "testing" Chris doesn't seem to have anything to do with Creatures in woods, the obsession with Hannah/Beth you find etc. Feels like a very distinct and seperate plot/threat. Oddly disconnected from other events.

No idea where same is through this Psycho drama too...is she still in bath? Even with all the shouting/banging/Psycho lighting candles etc?

Then there's Matt/Emily who just wandered off for like...2 hours? And then turn up just outside the barn. And then make real odd pointed "We'll go off together" comments....Strange. (And as I say, can't recall if I played as Emily yet).

No diea what's going on with Dr Hill (subtiles named him - haven't seen Hill referenced anywhere else). I'm aslo not sure if my answers are affecting the gameplay at all - they seem to be affecting his office (e.g. snakes, my fear, have appeared in jars...

So the miners are either infected, gone insane, curses etc based on Sanatorium...(Did...Did I kill Mike? He made friends with a dog...and I saved his fingers...but broke his machete...could I have used the machete to open locks without making sparks )

So Gas Mask man is presumable either hunting them or shepherding/looking after them.

Managed to escape Psycho as Sam (because I didn't shoot a squiral earlier according to butterfly screen? wtf)...Still feel Psycho is distinct from monster plot...it's also starting to feel overdone and some of his reactions have been wierd. If Josh wasn't dead I'd still think it's some overdone prank...(Then again Sam's chase was brutal...he really wanted to hurt her...)
But the "maze of cliches" Ash/Chris are taken through. It's just OTT. And feels too on the nose with cameras etc....and who's is all this blood given same got away. As Ash says it's someone trying to tell a story...but not sure who...Daddy Washington's in the film biz...maybe he's trying to make a "real" horror film? Someone's put a lot of work into setting this up (fake newspaper, saw deliveries etc...)

The guidance totem told me to put the gun down as Chris during the choice...did that and Ashley still screamed..As it cut to black (and their both alive on Dr Hill office wall monitors. I think they're fine)

And Matt/Emily. God hate her so much. I think I might have saved her during a shimmy QTE by instinct when she could have fallen. Boo. Kept the flair gun when playing as her not because I wanted her armed - but because then I was in control of the item not NPC Matt. But then she was twunt on the radio - as someone's trying to break in "He's coming to get me" (not Us...with Matt standing there). Then after we fell into caves she's a complete bitch to Matt...while he's trying to help her. Called her out on it and then um...jumped to find a better spot to help her from. Totally not just saving myself. Either way she fell with the tower and is dead now

So that's Jess/Josh/Mike/Emily dead. Mike