Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering DreadOut Remastered Collection by developer BattleBrew Productions:
DreadOut Remastered Collection: (Nintendo Switch)
DreadOut Remastered Collection combines the 2014 game DreadOut and the 2016 expansion Keepers of the Dark. Having only previously played the fantastic DreadOut 2, it’s hard to comment on what actual changes have been made to these previous games: but, as far as I can tell, there’s not a whole lot of new additions. Still, if it provides players with more modern ways to play an obscure survival horror game, then I’m all for it! It may have had mixed reviews on launch, but many still praised it for its unique style of horror that was inspired by Indonesian folklore.
The story of the original DreadOut focuses on the interestingly-named Linda Melinda, who finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with her class after ending up at a broken bridge. Instead of simply turning back, all the students seem to run off into an abandoned town and leave the incompetent teacher Miss Siska running around trying to get them all back again. What follows is the discovery of an old school that houses some dark entities, and Linda needs to use her innate psychic abilities to both detect them and take them out using her special smartphone. Think of it like a modern take on the Fatal Frame series, and you have the right idea.
And that comparison extends to the gameplay too. Whilst the second game carves its own path by having an open-world town filled with missions and side quests, this first title is far more linear in design and focuses a lot more on the camera combat. As such, it can feel quite derivative at times – which isn’t helped by the often unresponsive, slow camera controls and ghosts that occasionally have a little bit too much health.
For the most part, these encounters tend to work well enough due to some creatures having unique weak points, but other times you’ll be cursing it – particularly when fighting the game’s oftentimes frustrating boss fights. A lot of the times these spirits tend to be invisible and only viewable within the smartphone’s camera, but Linda’s psychic ability will help her realise when an enemy by highlighting the border of your screen in a vivid red colour. It’s quite useful, and feels subtle enough as not to completely remove the tension during the quiet moments.
Despite the issues with the combat, there’s a lot of charm to DreadOut that seeps through and makes you want to stick with it even during the game’s weaker moments. A lot of that is down to the likeable cast of characters and a genuinely spooky atmosphere that will have you on edge as you go around hunting for keys, notes, and other bits and pieces as the story unfolds. The school is a great location to explore, especially as it’s rather straightforward layout makes it difficult to get lost – and the dark grainy visuals help make it seem like a forbidden B-movie horror.
With the game being relatively short, taking only a few hours to beat, it’s nice that they included Keepers of the Dark to add a little extra content. It doesn’t add a huge amount, as there’s very little story here, and all the environments and enemies are re-used from the main game. With the exploration almost entirely removed, the focus instead is on combat as you fight against what seems to be a constant stream of bosses. Having a little bit of extra lore included is certainly welcome for DreadOut fans, , but overall, this extra content feels somewhat disposable.
And that really sums up my overall feelings as a whole. As someone that adored DreadOut 2 and was craving more Indonesian survival horror, I left feeling slightly underwhelmed by the DreadOut Remastered Collection. It’s still a solid game, and I love being able to experience Linda’s original tale, but it feels like I enjoyed it more because of my adoration for this world and its characters. Those without that prior experience may not appreciate it quite as much.
Game Specifications:
Developer: Digital Happiness
Publisher: SOFT SOURCE
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Adventure, Other, Action
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: January 16, 2025
Price: $29.99
File Size: 3.4 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
