Posted on: June 4, 2023
heart-of-ice
Verified ownerGames: 950 Reviews: 20
A distraction at best
TL;DR SAW with PS1 era graphics, good puzzles, underdeveloped story/characters, virtually no horror. A bunch of unfortunate souls have been trapped inside a mansion, it is your job to solve puzzles to rescue them. I found the puzzles to be engaging and generally well-designed. But for a game that’s centered around themes of kidnapping and SAW-styled deathtraps, TTK is insultingly tame in the horror/gore department. Sloppy writing causes a main character to trauma bond way too fast, the rest have with no real personality save for superficial traits such as a disgruntled doctor, a disgruntled cop, a pompous rich man. One of the characters has endured dissociative identity disorder as a result from being experimented on at the mansion. Upon her rescue and revelation of her condition, the other characters just briefly express empathy but brush it off as if nothing happened. As TTK borrowed inspiration from the 90s era of survival horror, it is vital to point out that Resident Evil – Code: Veronica’s Alfred Ashford was an infinitely more fleshed out character with a more nuanced depiction of said disorder. Aside from the puzzles, TTK’s strongest points are the soundtrack and atmosphere. The latter really is spot-on with limited visibility of darkened hallways, creaking noises, disturbing visions. Though the general audio volume throughout the game seems to be on the quiet end, Josie Brechner’s ambient soundtrack is eerie, tense, ethereal and unusual. “A Brief Respite” stands out as my personal favorite. I did somewhat enjoy my time with TTK, but since the puzzles only have one solution, once it’s over it’s over. There are multiple endings, which may warrant one additional play through. We’re halfway through 2023. Several games that are worth your time and money have been released so far with a many more to come. The Tartarus Key is not one of them. At least not at full price. Get it on a discount, but don’t expect to stick around it for long. A distraction at best.
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