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Torn - Review (Spoilers)

Zenbane
MVP
MVP

After completing Torn over the course of 3 days I figured I'd write a quick review.

The highlights:
  • Torn is a visual treat. Great assets and environment.
  • The story is intriguing and gets better as it unfolds, with a fun plot twist.
  • Despite being a "puzzler" there are really only 5 different types of puzzles.
  • Most of the game is spent playing one type of puzzle; a Connect-the-Dots challenge.
  • The Player doesn't really have to try too hard, the in-game Companion AI will give you the puzzle answers.
  • The game took me exactly 8 hours to complete, but could likely be done in 6 if you don't spend as much time exploring.

Overall I would rate this 3 out of 5 stars simply because the puzzles were not diverse enough nor challenging due to the Companion AI.

Note: I'm playing with a 980 and my screenshots have that "fuzzy" look, but in-game the imagery is great.

Gameplay
In Torn you are walking around a mansion that was built by an Engineer, where everything has a mild Steampunk feel to it. The home has a Classical style and you can manipulate just about every single object (with some exceptions) with either your hands or your Rod.

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Each room throughout the mansion has its own unique layout with its own distinct puzzle. The room themselves are essentially "the puzzle."


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If you have played Robinsons: The Journey then the controls will be very familiar to you. In Torn, you have a Tool that you use to manipulate objects. You can click-and-hold anything to move it around; which is needed to solve the main puzzle element of the game.

The primary puzzle is the Connect-the-Dot challenge in every room which involves finding certain items in a room that match a shape needed to connect "circuitry" inside the Room.


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All of the Circuitry in the rooms reside within the Walls, Floors, and Ceilings. So you'll be sticking chairs upside-down and luggage bins up against the wall quite often. Each room has around 3 circuit puzzles, and there's at least 9 rooms... so that's some 27 connect-the-dot puzzles. If this type of puzzle challenge aint your cup o' tea then this game probably isn't for you.

There were at least 2 distinct areas where the game presented a completely different puzzle that has nothing to do with connecting dots. But before I could get too excited, the in-game Companion told me that damn answer lol


Plot
You are a journalist that comes across a mysterious mansion. Once inside, you encounter a small ghost/spirit that follows you around (this is your Companion AI). He explains the crisis within the mansion and begs your assistance.

Each time you solve the puzzles in a room, and acquire enough "memories" (part of the main plot), you are able to travel to another Realm and interact with the main NPC (the owner of the Mansion). He helps unfold the story for you. My favorite thing about how this is done is that the story is told in the form of Quill-style imagery.


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Overall
If the game offered more intricate puzzles and less solution-give-a-ways then this would easily become a 4 or 5 star rating. At around $15 or less this could be something worth playing just for the story and overall VR Experience. But as a true Puzzle Game it's hard to recommend. In comparison, I recently completed Along Together on the Oculus GO which has no real plot and a childllike approach, but the puzzles were FAR MORE compelling and challenging.

In the end, Torn is a connect-the-dot puzzle game with a good story and some great visuals.
2 REPLIES 2

RedRizla
Honored Visionary
Sounds like they need to do something about the companion. Maybe they can mute him 😄

Seems a bit daft him telling you the puzzle..

Zenbane
MVP
MVP
Yes, by making the companion's Hint System "optional," the game would drastically improve.