The Scratches Director's Cut Experience

Uh...

The place I have been to shouldn't be mentioned so banally as in a simple blog post. It's not something one would want to disrespect. I will attempt to give a brief anonymous description, in hope of not wronging the ..uh.. let's move on.

There is an old place, that keeps many secrets. That place has many dark corners, but also a few light ones, just so someone brave enough will be able to see the contrast. A brave man might start raising questions and explore, seeking answers. The dark place will then tell a story, which will tell of another dark place, profoundly darker, and which supposedly might have caused the former place to grow dark.

One can't resist but wonder, does the second dark place also have its origin in another, even darker place? Is this how all horror stories go, chaining towards each other?

Scratches is an old story. It doesn't attempt to please and it is not pop. And one very certain fact: it is not for those who have a serious fear of being alone in a house. Despite it being old, it sucks you in extremely well (there is, of course, an assumption that one is using headphones or good sound support, as one should if one is at least averagely interested in atmosphere and experience as it was intended).

First person view, and many puzzles to solve and explore. No spoilers, but puzzles are of the "trigger" type. Meaning something can't be done unless you have done something else first, even though it sometimes is obvious. But the setting and the story pace make sense of it. Simply put: Scratches is extremely well made and presented.

Director's Cut has an additional ending, that attempts to explain more, although some parts are still left to imagination. The additional ending is The Last Visit, and is a different perspective, which was very interesting to look through.

As someone who has played Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I thought myself prepared. Afterall, Scratches is first person point and click experience, there is no immediate action. Did I jump away from my computer in terror and panic? Yes.

The thoughts that this dark place has given me will linger in me for a long time, wondering about the origin of what I have seen.

Maybe that will be answered in a similar type of experience that the same developers are working on in Asylum, that at the moment is on Steam's Green Light? I don't have any doubts about that.