Past Cure

Description

Past Cure is a psychologically oriented action-thriller with a haunting premise and cinematic ambitions although execution is hampered by weak mechanics, inconsistent tone, and uninspired gameplay. It clearly had great ambitions but really falls short across multiple aspects.

Ian, a former special forces soldier, is haunted by fragmented memories and newfound powers following traumatic experiments. As the story unfolds, you drift between stark, oppressive reality and surreal dreamscapes. Ian must use skills like slowing down time and astral projection to manipulate objects, evade threats, or control electronics, all to infiltrate disturbing environments and uncover the truth. Gameplay alternates between stealth sections, third-person shooting, melee sequences, and basic puzzles. These genres mostly are siloed in each chapter leaving the game mechanics feeling disconnected and underdeveloped. The combat particularly was poor, stealth gameplay will instant failure on detection, and supernatural powers are limited and gimmicky.

Graphically and technically it is inconsistent. The narrative leaves you with unclear motivations, and voice acting isn’t polished. This all undermines the emotional and psychological weight of the story. For better or worse, it’s short around six hours. Despite all the weaknesses, the game was produced by a small indie studio so offers a more experimental presentation trying to weave together different genres and gameplay.