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As much as I wanted to love this game, I simply can't. Still, I should probably say right away that the game is not as bad as some people make it sound. I blame the inflated expectations spawned by the game's decent marketing campaign and the circumstances surrounding its development. After all, what could have gone wrong? Glen Schofield, an industry veteran and a father of an iconic game series, gets back in action, takes a couple of recognizable actors, and, probably enjoying complete creative freedom, starts working on a new IP to forge his big-league comeback.
Horrified by how technically flawed the PC version was at the release, I decided to wait for patches so as not to spoil my gaming experience. This is all I'll say about the launch issues because, as I'm writing this review in January 2023, the game runs pretty well on my PC in 2K 60 FPS without any critical bugs. Everything described below applies to the Maximum Security difficulty setting.
What about the plot?
Honestly, I wasn't expecting too much from the story. The sad reality of today's gaming industry is that if a major AAA title has an elaborate script, that alone qualifies it as decent. I, however, despise this point of view. Yes, the game has a simple and clear scenario spiced up with a couple of plot twists and gives you an overall feeling of something whole and complete after the final credits roll (that is, if you don't take into account the story-based DLC scheduled for release in the summer of 2023). But for a number of reasons, the story is just not... engaging enough? I don't want to speak for everyone, as some players will probably be interested in the local intrigue and events. However, if you've played Dead Space or at least watched a couple of popular sci-fi movies, you'll hardly find TCP's story memorable. As for similarities with Dead Space, Schofield quotes himself so much it's ridiculous: the opening scene, the alternative version of "cut off their limbs," the protagonist's mental problems, the shady organizations, and even the most iconic screamers all feel terribly familiar. "What's so bad about that?" you may ask. Doesn't Glen, the man behind both titles, have every right to repeat himself? This creates a paradoxical situation in which the game has no logical errors but lets you anticipate certain plot twists and tricks once you realize how actively the authors use the legacy of Dead Space. In my opinion, it ruins the intrigue and, consequently, the suspense in a game that pitches itself so strongly as a survival horror.
As for the characters, they feel like a punch to the gut. The likable actors, who clearly tried their best to play their parts, have fallen victim to awful character development. I'm especially bummed for Sam Witwer, who has been given too little screen time to let his incredible charisma shine through.
Let's talk about the horror aspect of the game.
Creating suspense and keeping players on edge is hard work. This is something highly individual and subjective for each player, so I'll try not to judge, although it will be hard to avoid it altogether.
TCP uses screamers – a lot of them – to create a horror atmosphere. I've already mentioned my main issue with screamers when discussing the plot. The second and probably most successful horror element is the perfect synergy of audio and art design in the protagonist's surroundings. Thanks to the superb graphics and sound, the developers have managed to create a very dark and daunting place that makes you want to escape it as soon as possible. I won't make a final judgment about the horror elements: the game will be able to scare the shit out of some players, while others will sit through all the screamers without as much as flinching. It all depends on the temperament of each individual player and their background in this genre.
How does the game feel?
Paradoxical. If someone asked me to describe the game with one word, this is probably the one I'd use. TCP has quite a few mechanics, but I find that almost every single one of them has some strange game design decisions, which I'll now try to explain.
At the heart of the combat system lies a melee mechanic with rather strange controls: all you need to do to dodge an enemy attack is hold one of the strafe keys; the player's main task is to start strafing in the opposite direction during an enemy's combo attack, after which they get a fairly large window to strike back. The protagonist can hit enemies with a Stun Baton. In addition, the game is designed in a way that makes melee the most effective style of combat even when you have access to a small arsenal of firearms. See for yourself: in most scenarios, players find themselves in a small room with no space for maneuvering, with enemies popping up literally a few meters away from the protagonist, so reducing the distance and using guns doesn't feel appropriate. But that's not all. After a melee combo, you have a 100% chance to deal additional damage by shooting at critical points that appear on enemies. Once again, we are faced with another paradox: even though the game has a full-fledged shooting mechanic, melee, stealth, and GRP, which I have not yet mentioned, the developers encourage players to use an extremely simplistic scheme, even on the highest difficulty level: dodge an enemy's attack several times, wait for the opportunity to deal damage, perform combos (by the way, all attacks are made literally with two keys — there is no need to time your attacks or memorize the correct sequence), and then shoot at critical points until the enemy is defeated. The problem is that the game very rarely creates unique situations that require you to act differently, and performing the same sequence of actions over and over can quickly become boring.
The stealth system is simple, but it works fine. Large stealth sections appear about 2/3 of the game, and if you're patient enough, they won't cause you any trouble. Moreover, these sections allow you to fill your pockets with ammo and other consumables just in time for the final boss without wasting precious resources.
GRP is a device that allows you to telekinetically interact with surrounding objects to launch them at enemies, as well as to interact with the enemies themselves. It is so overpowered that it can take down the majority of enemies in a couple of clicks even without any upgrades. It literally lifts enemies into the air, allowing you to toss them into giant fans, off ledges, and at spiked walls. Yes, the GRP has a cooldown system, but it can recharge both by itself, outside of combat, or with the help of consumables. And given that I have never encountered a shortage of consumables, I can state that GRP is essentially the ultimate solution for any fight. Even if there are no objects nearby for environmental kills, you can always throw the enemy back to deal them some damage. This makes the GRP yet another paradox. You can always opt not to use it at all, focusing on shooting, melee, and stealth instead. But why be less effective intentionally in a single-player game? This is an open question for me.
Nevertheless, despite all of the above, I can't say I didn't enjoy the stealth sections or encounters with the enemies. I feel like things could have been better, but alas.
Summing up. I know I've said it a lot already, but TCP is paradoxical in almost every aspect. However, despite the abundance of questionable mechanics and a weird gameplay balance, I can't say I had a terrible time with it. Yes, this is not the big league. But it's not as bad as they say it is either. The game won't become a classic, but it definitely deserves to be played once.
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