Developer: Goblinz
Publisher: The Digital Lounge
Platform: PC, PS4, Android, Switch
Tested on: Switch
True Fear, Forsaken Souls – Part 1 (Switch) – Review
True Fear, Forsaken Souls – Part 1 already passed the revue several months ago when the game was ported to the PlayStation 4. We found the experience to be more meditative than haunting, but the atmosphere and the visuals certainly pressed the right buttons. This time, we get to take a look at the Nintendo Switch version, which is one of the hottest platforms at the moment. That being said, we have seen in the past that not all ports from one platform are successful however. Nonetheless, this port by Goblinz and The Digital Lounge proves to be decent and might just bring another nice point and click game to the Nintendo Switch.
Story
The game doesn’t give that much background on who you actually are, but you know you’re playing as a female, that’s clearly living on her own. When in the middle of the night you are awoken by knocks on your front door, you see a mailman who has papers for you, which need to be signed. These papers seem to be from your sister, who you haven’t heard from in years. The papers also draw you to an abandoned home, which is supposed to be the property of your sister. When walking inside, not only the place is eerily quiet, you also have the feeling you’re being followed by someone.
Overall the storyline of the game seems to be simple but pleasant enough to press forward. When solving more and more puzzles, you’ll sometimes see short cutscenes, which have a certain story value to them. Things will get more clear the further you progress, but even then, the story will never truly blow your socks off. Nonetheless, it’s a fun premise for this game, and does set a certain scary vibe.
Graphics
When looking at the visual representation of True Fear, we are actually wowed by the many different backgrounds and moveable objects in the game. While interacting with objects will simply shift the still picture, it’s still nicely done. The eerie atmosphere is properly captured and everything truly feels as if you’re in an abandoned house, safe for a few features that clearly show ‘some life’ in the property.
From time to time you’ll see short cutscenes which show you a bit of what is going on, or when you reach a new part in the story, which makes things a bit more personal. The graphical quality of these cinematic clips is a bit less than what you’ve come to expect from modern games, but it still looks nice for this type of title.
Sound
The sound design of True Fear is pretty much perfect for the game. You’ll be treated to a more atmospheric soundtrack, which is actually quite soothing, but still has a certain eerie vibe to it. The effects on the background may loop a lot, but they never get bothersome, as you’ll be fully immersed in the gameplay. Every interaction has its response in the sound department, and this truly shows that the developers thought of every little detail.
Gameplay
True Fear, Forsaken Souls – Part 1 is in essence a horror point and click puzzler, albeit with the horror elements more on the background. While the locations you are in are somewhat creepy and decayed, there’s never a feeling of urgency, even though the story indicates something evil and vile is keeping a close eye on all your movements. You’ll soon notice that you can try (and retry) different options as much as you like, without any time restraints, any consequences and so on. You’ll simply go your merry way, be it on the standard, lower or higher difficulty levels, with the lowest allowing you to nearly spam the hint function.
Most puzzles in the game do make sense and point themselves out. If you get stuck, there’s still the hint option, but for the most part, you can figure things out yourself. Nonetheless, sometimes a keen eye is needed to properly see all you can interact with, or all items a certain space has to offer. When interacting with items, you’ll always pick up those you need later, but the rest can prove interesting to interact with, as some may hold clues to solve puzzles.
It’s fun to see that the touch screen function of the Switch was not overlooked, and it’s actually quite fun to be able to use if when relaxing in the sofa. While some things are still more clearly visible on the big screen, the game never becomes unclear, and even then, you still have the hint function if you still can’t put your finger on it.
Conclusion
True Fear, Forsaken Souls – Part 1 is a fairly relaxing horror game, albeit if you think about it carefully, it probably misses its mark as a horror title. The game has a lot of fun puzzles to plow through, and there is more than enough content to occupy yourself for a couple of days. The atmosphere properly sets the tone thanks to the wonderful looking backdrops and the music behind it all. If you’re looking for a fun point and click puzzler, this title should earn a rightful place in your Switch’s digital game collection.
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