I was very much anticipating this game after having played the original by William Rous, and I wanted to see how they'd build upon the previous incarnation, which is a high bar considering how much I did love the previous one.
At first it was as good as I expected it to be, having built upon an already great foundation. I did notice there are particular aspects of the original game that weren't as present in this current incarnation which I thought added a lot to the original. [/spoiler]Specifically the original's frame story involving the narrator who had been guiding you throughout the game and whose comments on various scenes in the game really helped make you intrigued about the entire mystery.[/spoiler] I didn't really mind it, as the upgraded visuals of the game and the added voice acting for every recounted scene made the story much more gripping than if it were to be presented as text logs, and I was already quite satisfied with what I've gotten from the game, though a bit disappointed at [/spoiler]what may have happened to the frame story as seemed to not be as emphasized as much... I suspected maybe it would eventually come into play much later on and may eventually be proven wrong.[/spoiler] Alas I didn't exactly mind what I eventually got.
But then I was proven QUITE wrong.
[/spoiler]The moment the main plot twist happened and ultimately gave the proper background to the strange events that brought you into the house, my mind was blown. The fact that the remake had ultimately snuck in an entire third act of sorts quite late into the game and adding a lot more than what I assumed the game was set out to do blew my mind. I am really glad that the creator was able to go much further with the story this time, as I do think that the exploration of forgetting and how the curse would affect those who currently still have to live with it was appreciated for the story. I would say this surpasses the original frame story and definitely made up for the initial disappointment I had for the frame story.[/spoiler]
I will say that the UI is quite clunky when playing on a controllers (though it's not surprising as it is much better suited to mouse and computer) though I wouldn't consider that as much of a con when the story itself surpasses my expectations from having come from the previous game. Seeing how this one came together, I cannot wait to see what Evil Trout eventually do next time!
