Journey through your fragmented memories to piece together the truth of what happened to you.
The Shattering
Developer: Super Sexy Software
Price: $20
Platforms: PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PC code for review.
The Shattering begins with a doctor guiding you into a state of hypnosis. He tells you that although you think everything is fine, that isn’t true, because you “can’t even remember her name.” The hypnosis brings you into a blank area containing only your chair and the doctor’s, but you quickly learn that your own thoughts can bring things into existence around you. You were in an accident, and the doctor’s goal is to guide you through your memories until you understand the circumstances leading up to it.
It’s a narrative-driven first-person adventure game (what some might call a “walking simulator”), but not a traditional one. While you do interact with the environment around you and solve a handful of minor puzzles, what you’re really doing is bridging each memory to the next. Words and messages appear in the air around you, along with other clues to hint at what you should do, although sometimes it, unfortunately, feels like you’re just looking for something to interact with to move the scene along.
Most of the game is in black and white, with other characters represented either by mannequins or empty space, which makes the few splashes of colors stand out even more. It does a good job of making you empathize with the protagonist, John, whose anxiety and other struggles are clearly portrayed through the presentation of each scene. Since you aren’t seeing actual flashbacks, but rather memories, details from the present creep into the past and the passage of time blurs. The Shattering does a fantastic job of blending memories and changing environments in a way that is surreal, yet easy to follow. It really does feel like you’re traveling through a series of memories.
There are some horror elements in The Shattering, mainly environmental ones, but I wouldn’t say it’s a horror game. You’re not in danger, and nothing will attack you. Its official description calls it a psychological thriller, and that’s probably the best way to explain it. It has unsettling moments, but more than anything else it’s unhappy and upsetting as John’s lies shatter around you and the truth reveals itself.
If you’ve played this sort of game before, you’ll probably predict a few revelations early on, but some of the specific details took me by surprise. Still, it follows some predictable beats across the 3-4 hours of gameplay. Overall, I felt more impressed by its storytelling style than the story itself, because its presentation and style are its strongest aspects.
The Final Word
The Shattering is a surreal, psychological adventure game. The story might not be anything groundbreaking, but its portrayal of memories makes for an intriguing storytelling experience.
MonsterVine Review Score: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
