Remothered: Tormented Fathers | Switch Review

Things Are Not What They Seem

One can probably bet that the offering of a new survival horror game on the Nintendo Switch would be quite a draw to fans of the horror genre. Especially as it runs along the same vein as games like Clock Tower and Alone in the Dark. Although Remothered: Tormented Fathers offers an interesting and somewhat twisted storyline, there are far more sinister forces at work here. I hope you brought a flashlight.

Skeleton In the Closet

Remothered: Tormented Fathers is developed by Stormind Games, a studio based in Catania, Italy, and published by Darril Arts. The game was originally released on PC in January of 2018, and later that year on PS4 and Xbox One. The story unfolds through the eyes of main protagonist Rosemary Reed, who is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a little girl named Celeste. To gather more information, Rosemary claims she is a doctor and pays a visit to Felton Villa (a large estate owned by Arianna and Richard Felton, the girl’s mother and father.) Mr. Felton has a terrible affliction, and requires close care from his personal nurse Gloria, who resides with them at home. 

Dr. Reed speaks with Richard about his medical records, and touches on information that sends him into a fit of rage. After speaking with the Director at the Santa Margherita Institute, Gloria learns that Dr. Reed is there under false pretenses, and Rosemary is immediately led out of the Villa. Rosemary returns to Felton Villa that night, and sneaks back in in an attempt to speak with Mrs. Felton. To her horror, she discovers the rotting corpse of Arianna in a locked room upstairs. Richard, who has now entered a psychotic rage and wanders around the house with a sickle, hopes to deal with the meddlesome ‘doctor.’ 

Around and Around She Goes

The game primarily takes place in Felton Villa, which features many drawers, bookcases, and cabinets in which the player must search for clues. This is to unravel the mystery behind Celeste’s disappearance, and to find objects that may aid in Rosemary’s escape. Throughout the game, the player navigates through several floors and rooms looking for clues and tools while trying to avoid being detected by Mr. Felton.

There are no real weapons aside from small defensive tools, as the game utilizes a hiding mechanic and a ‘’calm’’ meter to escape, rather than engaging the psychotic old man. At first, it seems unclear as to what the player is looking for, perhaps in an attempt to make the user seem lost. Help seems rather hidden in menus, without a prompt alerting the player to its presence. Many of the objects hidden away in drawers and on tables are distraction tools meant to divert attention away from the player’s location. There are photos and objects that also give the player a bit of backstory and hints as to what horrors may come, but are very few in number.

Rosemary’s movement is intentionally slow and clunky, as the player is supposed to feel as if they are trying to sneak, rather than darting through the house like a mad deer. The game does allow the player to run, but as Dr. Reed is wearing high-heels that are apparently super-glued to her feet, doing so sends Mr. Felton into alert mode and running toward the player’s location.

Interacting with objects and doors is very frustrating. White dots appear over every object or hiding spot that the player can interact with, and can be activated when an icon appears in its place. Lining up the character in many instances was akin to trying to thread a needle, and leaves the user dancing about. In some cases, one will be left jamming the joysticks in an attempt to enter a hiding spot only to have Richard slash you with his sickle because the icon wasn’t perfectly lined up.

Evil Lurks Beneath the Surface

I will come right out and say that Remothered: Tormented Fathers has the ugliest graphics I have ever seen on the Nintendo Switch. It is quite clear that more time was needed to get this game ported properly. I have the latest update as of October 26th, but the graphics remain seemingly untouched. The textures are flat. Anti-aliasing is nowhere to be found in some areas, while way too much is applied in others. Faces and details are lost in a gray and dingy mush. The atmosphere inside the house is dark and gray or brown, and very unappealing to look at. (Remember, you will have to revisit the same areas and travel back and forth constantly.) The only redeeming quality as far as the graphics are concerned was the pre-rendered cutscenes. I really hope that a patch is planned, because it’s bad enough that one could lose interest in the game.

Nothing To See Here Folks

While Remothered: Tormented Fathers strives to offer an inclusive and real-world feel, the graphics on the Switch really detract from the experience. The one thing in a survival horror game that needs to be there is atmosphere. Survival horror games typically don’t offer a lot of engaging gameplay, but remedy this with a very real and frightening experience for the player.

This game falls well short of that expectation, and were it not for the intriguing storyline, I would have stopped playing the game. I’m pretty shocked at the current state of this game, even after the performance patch. After completing the game, I looked at the graphics on other platforms. They are absolutely beautiful in comparison. If you are looking to play Remothered: Tormented Fathers, I’d recommend playing it on PC, Xbox One, or PS4. I do have to say, despite the poor level of attention given to the Switch release, I’m very excited to play the next title in the series, Remothered: Broken Porcelain, which is currently in development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1lqDPg1vvk

This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy of Remothered: Tormented Fathers provided by Homerun PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.