Fractured Mind
Table of Contents
Every once in a while, a video game demo leaves quite an impression and Fractured Mind is one of those demos. It all started with a random download from itch.io. The description of the video game states that it is a P.T.-inspired psychological horror game. This is all right up my alley because I love these types of games so much. So, I gave it a go and this was my experience.
No spoilers included.
ABOUT FRACTURED MIND
“Fractured Mind” is an immersive and atmospheric video game demo available on itch.io, designed to captivate players with its unique blend of psychological horror and puzzle-solving gameplay. Set within the fragmented psyche of the protagonist, players navigate through surreal environments, solving enigmatic puzzles while unraveling the mysteries of the protagonist’s fractured mind.
With its haunting visuals, chilling sound design, and thought-provoking narrative, “Fractured Mind” offers players a tantalizing glimpse into a world where reality bends and fractures, leaving players questioning what is real and imagined. Dive into the depths of the human psyche and experience the unsettling journey of “Fractured Mind.”
THE DEMO
You are a special agent and you have been ordered to partake in a mental evaluation. The order comes after experiencing a traumatic event during an operation. His behavior has been changing and his employers need to know whether or not he is fit for duty. Everything spins out of control from there.
VERSIONS
Acid Games has been great at taking feedback from fans of the demo. I’ve sent them a message a couple of times myself and have gotten responses back. Very neat to help with the development process. Regardless, I played version four and the Steam version. There were several other versions I could have played but I held out. Here are my takeaways.
VERSION FOUR
Version four had a lot of bugs. Some of the bugs were game-breaking. I tried to get through the demo several times but I was never able to finish because of the bugs. Each playthrough was met with a different bug that broke my game. I still had fun and remained optomistic about future updates. Acid Games felt to me like they were on top of it.
STEAM VERSION
The Steam version is vastly improved. I was able to get through the entire demo on my first try. Not only that, but there are changes made to make everything easier to manage and progress. New creature models were introduced and they look great (creepy). I didn’t have any bugs to hinder my gameplay. I am very pleased with this build.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is straightforward. The majority of the time you are walking from train car to train car. Every once in a while, something changes and it is up to you to pay attention. Some of the changes can be easy to miss. The developer (Acid Games) has specified that the player must be observant and pay close attention to details. I recommend you take the advice.
There are times when you have to interact with the environment. For example, there is a gun on one of the seats when you first start the video game. You must pick the gun up for the video game to progress. Interactions with the environment may be what stops the video game from progressing so be sure to be on the lookout.
PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR
This is where Fractured Mind shines. All of the checkboxes of a psychological horror are checked. The best is the mental attacks on the protagonist. It’s pretty obvious from the start that something has happened and whatever it is, it wasn’t good. There are mental attacks brought on from several angles that are effective. I feel like these mental attacks were so effective that I won’t forget about the experience anytime soon.
The atmosphere and dread work well together. You are going to feel dread throughout the entire playthrough. When done well, dread can be far more effective than jump scares any day. If you leave the game feeling like you need a nap and a hug, then psychological horror has made an impact. Fractured Mind left me feeling this way.
TECHNOLOGY
The video game runs on Unreal Engine 5. I haven’t seen a lot of games that look like Fractured Mind and I think Unreal Engine 5 helps make it all possible. Regardless, the video game looks really good. There are a lot of visual details.
On the flip side, there are a lot of technical issues with the video game. I found myself getting frustrated several times when an object got stuck somewhere it wasn’t supposed to or when the game wouldn’t progress and I couldn’t figure out why. I’ve had several playthroughs and none of them have been fully successful. However, I still had fun with each playthrough.
DOWNLOAD THE DEMO
This is a demo worth playing. If you are a fan of P.T.-inspired games, Fractured Mind is right up your alley. The download is found on itch.io but I have provided a direct link to the page that will allow you to download the demo. There may be bugs present but if you can work through them, the payoff is neat.
PADLOCK CODE
If you are here for the padlock code, you have come to the right place. I cannot warn you enough. There are massive spoilers ahead. Only click on the button to get the code if you are okay with spoilers. You have been warned.
AS I SEE IT
Acid Games has plans to finish their video game. I hope that happens. The technical issues can be quite horrifying but the game itself is much more horrifying. Acid Games does a great job of instilling dread and using the atmosphere to make you feel uncomfortable. There are bouts of mental attacks that leave an impression. This isn’t a bad start for a one-person show..
SCREENSHOTS
PODCAST
