Torn Away, developed by perelesoq, is a puzzle platforming game that revolves around the young girl Asya’s journey of escaping World War 2 prison camps and making her way back home to her family. The game’s story premise has the potential to create intense emotional situations. However, the story fumbles in several areas, making it difficult to understand what’s happening during dramatic scenes. The cutscenes often leave players confused, and the game ends with an anticlimactic scene of sitting around a campfire. The developers seem to have struggled with filling in the gaps between pivotal moments, resulting in meaningless dialogues that add little to the story. The constant presence of Comrade Mitten, an imaginary friend, can be annoying and detracts from the player’s ability to think for themselves.
The gameplay in Torn Away is clunky and boring, failing to fully explore any of the mechanics introduced. Most of the game involves moving right across the screen while being bombarded with unnecessary dialogue. Completing chores around a house and playing in first-person mode are other aspects of the game that don’t contribute meaningfully to the story. The platforming mechanics lack depth and are limited to jumping over gaps and pushing logs.
Despite its shortcomings, Torn Away does have redeeming qualities. The art style is visually appealing and stands out as one of the game’s strengths. However, given the heavy focus on narrative, players might find themselves wishing for a visual novel experience instead of an interactive one.
Overall, Torn Away falls short in terms of gameplay and storytelling. While it has some positive aspects, such as its art style, they aren’t enough to compensate for its clunky gameplay and poorly mixed audio.
In conclusion, Torn Away offers an intriguing premise with emotional potential but fails to deliver on both gameplay and storytelling fronts. Its clunky mechanics and confusing narrative make it difficult for players to fully immerse themselves in Asya’s journey. Despite its visually appealing art style, Torn Away ultimately falls short of being an engaging experience.
