The Sinking City - PS5 Review

The Sinking City by developer and publisher Frogwares—Sony PlayStation 5 review written by Pierre-Yves with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Having originally released in the summer of 2019 for the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One and the PC, Frogwares' The Sinking City is back once again with a fresh coat of paint and an upgrade under the hood in this H.P. Lovecraft inspired action adventure horror story.

Containing everything from the original as well as the added DLCs that have come out over time, the return to this half sunken and downtrodden city of fictional Oakmont, Massachusetts was interesting to say the least. Arriving in search of the source of the nightmarish visions and dreams that our protagonist has been having, you soon find yourself wrapped up in both a missing person's and murder investigation. Being new in town and being told by the powers will be to do it, you have no other choice but to get sleuthing.

The Sinking City was in no way perfect when it originally released. While there were certain aspects that could be overlooked such as the graphics and the performance on the older set of consoles, it was clear that the upgrades to the PlayStation 5 (and seemingly the Series X) took care of some of these. Mechanically the controls no longer feel PS2 era blocky for lack of a better term. Now, exploration is smooth enough and where a fair amount of improvement can be seen in are the shooting mechanics aspect of combat.
 

Aiming your variety of guns such as a 9mm, 6 chambered revolver, machine gun, shotgun and long barreled rifle feels more natural then it used to. Added in for the PS5 only through the DualSense is that the trigger has been given a bit of resistance making you actually have to "pull the trigger" on your camera and firearms. The part of combat that still feels a little clunky however is attacking monsters or other humans trying to kill you with your spade. Upgrades in the skill tree can be acquired to swing faster which makes it a little more natural but the movements don't reflect this and honestly? You'll generally be wanting to use guns when it comes to the monsters that literally go bump in the night.

Other issues that haven't been resolved and are a little more clear this time around is how empty the world feels. If a building on the side of the street is not involved in either remain or a secondary quest it just stands there. There's no way to open the door, there's no way to go inside, there's just, nothing. And where this becomes the most noticeable is if you are playing The Sinking City for the second time. The reason is you already know where to go so when you get to where you need to be, the door will still be locked as you unfortunately still need to sleuth out the clues in order to move forward.
 

For those playing for the first time though, not only will part of the above be a non-issue, but, you can easily find yourself sinking into your role especially if you go from main or side quest into the next immediately. Following these paths one after another will make the world feel less empty as you will be talking to people and exploring spaces regardless of if there are monsters awaiting you or not. Sadly, the same won't be said for returning players unless you really don't remember what happened the first time around and everything is fresh enough for you. 

On a final note, I still found myself being impressed by the monsters both real and imaginary. A large part of this adventure revolves around our protagonist's sanity and if it gets too low monsters will start coming out and they are very much real because the mind thinks they are real. There are stimulants that can be used and then these become nothing more than vaporus shadows, BUT, beware as sometimes real monsters tagged along for the ride. 

So overall, The Sinking City's revamp on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X is worthwhile if you've been thinking of giving this Lovecraftian tale another go or had missed out on it the first time. With several upgrades and a new smoothness to the gameplay, going back for seconds alongside the added DLC was not a bad way to spend a few dozen hours.

Score: 7.5 / 10


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Observer: System Redux - PS5 Review

Observer: System Redux by developer Bloober Team and publisher Aspyr—Sony PlayStation 5 Review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Observer: System Redux is the same basic title that came out a few years ago to rave reviews, but with a few new missions and updated visuals. If you missed this cyberpunk thrilled the first time, you absolutely owe it to yourself to play it. Having enjoyed the title myself in the past, I was more than happy to revisit this dark version of 2084 a second time.

You take the role of Daniel Lazarski, an Observer. This is the title given to those who hack into the minds of those who draw the attention of corporations – the true, new power in this dark version of 2084. Right off of the bat, to hear the protagonist voiced by now-deceased Rutger Hauer just lends an immediate weight to the character than it might have had in less capable hands.

While the content is described in some spaces as cyberpunk or thriller, I’d go so far as to say there’s a very strong sense of horror here, just in an unusual setting. Everything that worked about the storyline three years ago holds true today. The core plot device of Daniel hocking into the memories of both the living and deceased creates a very open template for the narrative, and it is used to great impact by developer Bloober Team (also known for the phycological horror game Layers of Fear). Dan’s work however, comes with risks and begins to compromise his own ability to process things. The abstract darkness of others’ dreams seem to be creeping into his own, adding that horror element that makes the atmosphere so thick with tension throughout.

While Observer: System Redux is largely an adventure game, there is a stealth element baked into the gameplay that was not always my favorite aspect of the original. It feels as though it has been finetuned here (admittedly, it’s been a few years and maybe I was just better at it having experienced this before?), but it seemed a little more forgiving this time. If that is the case, then I am appreciative as I vaguely recall feeling more frustrated when playing the title for the first time a few years ago. That being said, I enjoyed my second tour through the game and found myself more than willing to have conversations with the many unusual, memorable characters you can encounter along the way. Being an adventure game at heart, Observer: System Redux wants you to explore, and is at its best when you’re taking your time and just soaking the atmosphere.

There are some nice touches throughout as the protagonist’s grip on sanity starts to slip more and more, but I will not get into the actual story here. If you played the game a few years ago when it first released, you have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen here. The key plot points have not changed any, though the three additional cases are welcome and continue to add to the world-building. If you are new to the series, anything more than what I have said would prove to be a disservice to you, as the story is really the main reason to play this.

The sound design of the original game was already quite good (again, something the development team seems to have a really good handle on based on their other titles I’ve played in the past), and that remains true here. With a set of headphones on, the subtle ambiances are easier to pick up on and appreciate. However, the true improvement to the presentation comes in the visuals.

The original Observer was not an ugly game, but it is amazing what a few years can mean both in terms of the technology and the development team’s improving skills. Character models are notably improved, with more smoothness to the animations. Beyond the characters however, the environments are also markedly improved upon. I am a sucker for that cyberpunk, neon glowing aesthetic found in movies and games, and Observer: System Redux really nails this. The hum and glow of the world around you, punctuating the often dark, rain-slickened environments just melds wonderfully with the audio to create an immersive experience that I was more than happy to revisit despite having played the game a few years ago.

Summary

Observer: System Redux is a welcome update. At first I questioned why we were getting it so soon after the initial game’s release only a few years ago, but those concerns abated rather quickly. Small quality of life improvements to the gameplay make the experience less frustrating this time around, the additional missions are well-done and welcome additions and enough cannot be said about how much better the visuals look this time around. As someone who enjoyed the game when it first released, I did not regret my second time with it here. If you missed Observer three years ago and dig cyberpunk themes, you really do need to check this title out.

Score: 8.5 / 10

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