Rating
The Shattering
The Shattering is a first-person, story-driven, psychological thriller that takes place in the pristine white aesthetic of protagonist John Evans' own dream. Players must piece together the fragments of the past and present, following the voice of the 'Doctor' as he guides them deeper into John’s mind. Players will experience the key moments of Joh...
Details
- Released
- April 20, 2020
- Developer
- Super Sexy Software
- Genres
- Role-playing (RPG) · Adventure · Indie · Horror
- Publisher
- Deck13 Interactive
- Platforms
- PC
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The Shattering Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
While The Shattering doesn’t have the scale or range of some genre entries, it's a fantastic example of a focused game that takes a vital and challenging issue and delivers a truly immersive experience. I’d really recommend adding it to the list of great gaming takes on mental health. I, for one, found the too-bright representation of mental illness hugely effective and couldn’t drag myself away from the keyboard until John’s story was told. I would repeat the health warning that the treatment of suicide is potentially triggering but, as long as that isn’t a potential risk for you, then The Sh...
The Shattering has a lovely setting and really interesting story, but is let down by a few iffy scenes and too much pixel hunting.
I was excited to play The Shattering after seeing a trailer that showed a bizarre and darkly twisted looking game, traits that grab my attention in any sort of art form. It compares itself to What Remains of Edith Finch, a game I really enjoyed, even if I do happened to think it’s a bit overhyped. So I decided to dive into The Shattering and see what it was all about. Looking back now, I wish I hadn’t wasted my time.
The Shattering has some big ideas that it simply isn't able to deliver on. There's a distinct lack of narrative cohesion along with pedestrian plotting and boring gameplay. Still, the game does some things that make it worth a bit of attention.
It’s clear they tried. I love the art direction, they tried to pull off something more original towards the end, and the little optional things you can interact with are fun and whimsical. I’d love to see where they go in the future, but I cannot deny that this is a fairly flawed title.
The Shattering provides an unforgettable experience!
If you’ve played this sort of game before, you’ll probably predict a few revelations early on, but some of the specific details took me by surprise. Still, it follows some predictable beats across the 3-4 hours of gameplay. Overall, I felt more impressed by its storytelling style than the story itself, because its presentation and style are its strongest aspects.