The Shattering is a first-person, story-driven, psychological thriller that takes place in the pristine white aesthetic of protagonist John Evans' own dream. Players must piece together the fragments of the past and present, following the voice of the 'Doctor' as he guides them deeper into John’s mind.
Players will experience the key moments of John's life that have defined and shaped him - they will be tasked with discovering the truth, shattering the lies and, ultimately, finding out what happened to him... and to remember her name.
The Shattering is a fantastic rendition of a psychological thriller that replaces tense dramatic action with a slow and subtle approach. It is well worth the buy for anyone who enjoys a rich and beautiful storytelling experience.
Whether you like methodically making your way from room to room and figuring out the greater narrative, or prefer long and lengthy spoken and/or text-based narratives that explain every single detail of the story, The Shattering should sit well with you. It has a decent blend of both, which are further complimented by the unique aesthetic. A pity then,...
From a certain point of view, The Shattering is simply just another short, Unity based first-person adventure game, but you can feel the developers had plenty of passion and heart. The attempt at gameplay innovations should be applauded.
The Shattering has a lovely setting and really interesting story, but is let down by a few iffy scenes and too much pixel hunting.
For fans of walking simulators, The Shattering is definitely worth a look. The story is interesting, told in a way that subverts expectations, and is coupled with some outstanding art direction and level design. It’s a solid experience all the way through, even if it does have a few immersion-breaking hiccups and technical faults.
