I really liked BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW when I reviewed it last year, despite a few complaints. That one particular brand of psychedelic horror worked well, but it was the themes that it tried to tackle that brought on its scariest and perhaps most horrifying aspects. Well, we’re back for another trip through protagonist Anne’s fractured psyche in BrokenLore: FOLLOW, a sequel that’s not necessarily bigger, but certainly better.
Like its predecessor, FOLLOW wastes no time in reintroducing us to Anne, who’s now a young adult with a little more maturity than she had when we first met her. She’s come to terms with the trauma she faced from her bullies at school and is a tad more confident and assertive as a result. It’s a welcome change that establishes continuity with the first game while taking the story in a sinister new direction.
You see, Anne may have buried the self-esteem issues from her high school bullies, or perhaps even healed through it. But the first game carried many hints about how her life at home was no walk in the park either. FOLLOW dives right into that side of her personality with very interesting results. This time around, it’s Anne’s mother who is the big bad, and I can tell you she cuts quite the scary figure thanks to some truly chilling design choices from Serafini Productions.
She lurks in the darkest corners of Anne’s mind, waiting to be let out the moment you uncover an important memory or piece of information pertaining to how she raised her daughter. The manner in which she’s characterized is sure to resonate with any of you who’ve faced similar situations in your own lives, and it’s easy to see how her actions have left lasting scars on Anne’s personality that she might never fully heal from.
Anne’s mother is the catalyst for the entire experience, with each level coming with a distinct theme and color to underline how her mind has interpreted her feelings toward her. She constantly declares that she’s tired of the ordeal she faces, which is presumably all in her head, but escape is never really presented as an option, even as you go further into the story. Instead, you only go from one memory to the next, with each one having its own puzzles to solve in order to proceed.
Of course, the giant monster from the first game, which I’m now convinced is a representation of Anne’s own lack of self-esteem, makes a comeback, often popping up when you least expect it to give you enough of a fright to justify taking a break. The jump scares and atmospheric horror from the first game also make a return, and like Anne, the game itself feels more confident than Serafini’s first outing with her.
“A personal highlight of all that was Little Annie, a truly unsettling doll that represents Anne’s youthful innocence and vigor, which looks so darn creepy, I was reminded of why I often avoid horror stories involving dolls in the first place.”
With a story and design that’s so compelling, it’s a pity, then, that the levels themselves are nothing to write home about despite how well they’re presented visually. Most of my time with the game involved navigating each one, uncovering important information or items that would then unlock new paths and new puzzles for me to solve. I’m all for a game jealously guarding its secrets and forcing me to think out of the box, but I do believe FOLLOW could have done better to present a stronger path to progression than the one on offer.
You’re given little to no information about what you need to do to get past a locked door, and the little nuggets of knowledge you get feel disconnected from the actual solution in many instances. It’s a very strong effort, no arguments there, but I couldn’t help but think that I was spending way too long running around the same level until I managed to spot an interactable object that would open up a new path.
A personal highlight of all that was Little Annie, a truly unsettling doll that represents Anne’s youthful innocence and vigor, which looks so darn creepy, I was reminded of why I often avoid horror stories involving dolls in the first place. Her adorable voice and the childish sense of wonder she brings to the exposition she offers are a superb contrast that makes her a very welcome addition to the experience. She’s also the biggest indicator that something important is nearby, which makes her quite helpful when you’re trying to navigate the convoluted puzzles in each level.
Another thing I liked was that Anne was far more agile than in her previous outing, which made getting around a lot easier. I miss the chase sequences that the first game had, despite how clunky the controls could feel. Those are now relegated to side-scrolling sequences that bookmark the end of a chapter, with little Anne desperately trying to avoid the representation of her older version’s insecurities. You could skip these sequences entirely, though, if you find them tedious. That’s a possibility because of the way obstacles are a constant presence, and navigating them with a very short window for error can get annoying.
“The soundtrack balances silence and the sinister build-up to a scary moment so well, you’re bound to feel the tension when you’re navigating an area that’s designed to have you on edge.”
The audio design continues to shine, just as it did in the first game. The soundtrack balances silence and the sinister build-up to a scary moment so well, you’re bound to feel the tension when you’re navigating an area that’s designed to have you on edge. There are helpful cues to tell you when you’ve unlocked something new on a level, and the voice acting does a very good job of bringing subtle, unspoken emotions to the forefront. That’s very important in a game that tackles the nuances of a parent-child relationship that hasn’t gone the way either party intended for it to go.
On the performance front, I found no issues on my base PS5 aside from minor frame drops that don’t really break the immersion. This one’s a polished effort from the developers, and it definitely outshines the first game in that area. The visuals are also noteworthy thanks to how they integrate each level’s themes and use light so much better than what was on offer in UNFOLLOW. They’re probably the best example I can find to demonstrate how the new game is a more confident, nuanced take on the issues it tries to present than the first one, which was already quite good to begin with.
So, with all that’s been said, would I recommend FOLLOW to you? If psychedelic horror is your jam, this one’s not going to disappoint. If you like games that give you chills and thrills in equal measures, you’re probably going to like it, although you might find the lack of combat or real danger in any form a tad boring. However, if you’re like me and enjoy stories that are nuanced and geared towards a slow burn, this one’s going to be right up your alley.
FOLLOW is a solid game, and continues the franchise’s traditions of insightful examinations of trauma through the eyes of a victim. It takes creative liberties that might seem like flights of fancy on the surface, but are very insightful takes on how the human mind processes negative emotions, and the dangers of leaving such thoughts to fester without seeking the help one needs to repair the damage. There’s a bit of Anne in all of us, and BrokenLore: FOLLOW does a great job as a game that makes you look inward and wonder about what the darkest corners of your own mind look like.
And that’s its biggest achievement.
This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.
