For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of the “Horror” movie genre. I grew up in a time when the sub-category of “Slasher” films were the norm – a genre that created my favorite horror movie series in Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street”. But when it came to horror/survival horror video games, I was less than enthralled – though I did enjoy the first four “Resident Evil” games (all for different reasons) and “Silent Hill 2” proved to be one of the greatest feats in creating true suspense and terror digitally. As the generations passed, more developers had the tools to make their own horrific experiences even on a shoestring budget – so is the case with the Camel 101-developed “Those Who Remain”. Though it had mediocre to terrible reviews, the low price point & genuine curiosity had me intrigued enough to give it a try on Playstation 4.
Did I Complete “Those Who Remain”?
Playing as Edward Turner – an alcoholic trying to drink his the remainder of his life away – players will enter a town waiting to ravage him with horrors unlike anything he’s ever seen, Dormont. Taking control of Edward, it becomes obvious something supernatural is afoot as he’s car jacked, left stranded in this perpetually dark environment, and odd strangers stand in the distance sporting glowing blue eyes & various weapons or tools. Beyond Edward avoiding a deadly stabbing by not going too deep into the darkness, he’ll have to sneak around the obviously distressed town while discovering the truth behind everything that caused Dormont to lose its grip of reality. Containing several choices to make, the game features three different endings with consistency being the reason as to why the player attains whatever finale is witnessed. By being a forgiving soul, I ended up with the best ending possible after my five hour playthrough. While obviously not the longest game in the world, several annoying levels and general lost interest due to learning the full story during my initial playthrough discouraged a second and third go-round to see what would happen to Edward if he decided to be hateful to those who already hated themselves.
Did “Those Who Remain” Live Up to the Hype?
“Those Who Remain” starts off by introducing the player to the fact light is Edward’s best friend as he has no way of defending himself. After entering Dormont and having his car stolen, Edward is forced to make his way through the various locales making up Dormont including a small diner, post office, fire department, and even the homes of those who are responsible for the story’s most horrific points. One of the best aspects about the narrative is the fact it emphasizes no one is pure, no one is perfect, and everyone is trying to take care of those they love even if it means hurting someone innocent. Through notes, journals, and listening to the stories of the few NPCs not trying to kill Edward, the plot unveils itself while producing something both memorable and cliché.
Another major element in regards to the game’s story is the choice system. Usually during the latter half of a level, Edward will be confronted with a choice courtesy of a mysterious figure. The choice to “Condemn” or “Forgive” dictates the one of three endings the player can attain. Sadly, only consistency will produce the various endings as mixing up condemnation and forgiveness will just give the player the default ending without the game actually weighing the importance connected to each choice.
Unfortunately, the gameplay hinders a lot of the fun that goes into discovering why Dormont has become such a terrible place. Beyond turning on nearby light switches to avoid being stabbed by one of the lurking damned, a majority of the time the player will be opening or moving the numerous interactable dresser drawers, lockers, and cardboard boxes in an attempt to find, say, a key necessary to unlock a door that may or may not feature another required search. There are times when the point of interest to activate the next section will take forever for a player to discover especially when its necessary to enter the game’s equivalent of the “negative zone” or the “Upside Down” from the “Stranger Things” series. Having to move around & search for random objects like a cane needed to pull down a fire escape ladder because Edward can’t jump a good six inches off the ground can be hindered by clunky, somewhat sluggish controls that match this rather late sixth/early seventh generation presentation that would’ve worked a lot better during the height of the Xbox 360/PS3 era. Certain puzzles, though not complicated, impede the player by slowing them down or forcing them to be stealthy (or both as seen during the level where Edward has to slowly carry lion statues to an open area while attempting to avoid the glare of a gigantic creature).
To shake things up for the player there are more than just the dark watchers to contend with including a patrolling mutant that appears from time to time to oddly search for Edward with its spotlight for a face. There is also a shrieking woman who will chase Edward periodically. Both instances can be stressful mostly due to the game’s checkpoint/auto-save system that may or may not force the player to redo a puzzle section or simply avoid the threat that killed Edward seconds ago.
Technically the game starts off rather well with some masterful lighting effects. The glow of every enemy’s eyes is truly haunting. Sound, too, is horrific; but for all the wrong reasons as a majority of the vocals are incredibly low while the music & certain sound effects blast way too loudly at various points. The game is also rough around the edges regarding stability. After a strong start, the game had various moments of noticeable framerate slowdown. Various glitches can happen (mostly thanks to moved interactable items) including enemies attacking through walls if Edward gets too close to a divider, and even a broken ending where Edward fell through the world when attempting to go through a door.
With a strong narrative premise, claustrophobic atmosphere, and some striking lighting effects, “Those Who Remain” suffers from outdated gameplay mechanics, technical issues, underwhelming puzzles, and some questionable levels that doesn’t do a good job encouraging the player to immediately do a second playthrough.
Should You Play “Those Who Remain”?
While not sporting the best graphics and having some gameplay decisions that will make someone think they’re playing a game from 2010, “Those Who Remain” does present a heavy story built on choices both by the player and the NPCs Edward does or never meets. The controls are rather sluggish with puzzles that don’t need much thought beyond looking at the right spot. For all its flaws & shortcomings, “Those Who Remain” doesn’t feature an insulting price point; making it a rather easy purchase for anyone interested in playing a game featuring more psychological scares than those that will cause a person to jump from their seat. Though “Those Who Remain” won’t go down as one of the most innovative or mildly remarkable horror games of its generation, this is something horror gamers should give a go especially if it’s on sale unless the thought of a shrieking contortionist chasing you down an empty road or cluttered hallway is too much to handle.
