Scratches Director's Cut

Less than a year after the debut of Scratches, Got Game and Nucleosys teamed up once again to surprise everyone with the release of a Director's Cut edition of the game. The new version promised several key features not included in the original, including higher resolution graphics, a journal by the playable character, an alternate control scheme, and most importantly, an all-new playable chapter. As it turns out, the new release does indeed deliver on its claims of enhancing the experience, though the core game remains unchanged, and it's unlikely that the new content will be enough to warrant an additional purchase for any but the most devoted fans of the initial game.

Actually, Scratches: Director's Cut was itself updated shortly after launch, with the release of a massive downloadable patch directly from the developer's website, reportedly providing a "complete remake" of the game visually. Here again, it's true that the update does make the graphics more detailed, but not as much as might be expected from such a dramatic overhaul. The patch also offers an easier method of reaching the "alternate ending" in the Director's Cut, though the bothersome, pace-killing tasks required to reach it (and an entire playthrough in its own right) will discourage most people from bothering anyway. It's worth grabbing the patch if the download is manageable, but hardly necessary to enjoy the game without it.

In terms of the Director's Cut additions, the graphic enhancement is certainly noticeable, mainly in adding a crispness the original lacked, though the game's stylish visuals were already fairly impressive in lower resolution. I also found that the game's scene transitions and animations edged into lagging "load time" territory as a result. The journal is basically a helpful recap, reading more like a player-friendly summary of events than an insightful glimpse into Michael's mind. The control change, meanwhile, is more a tweak to the existing method than a new scheme altogether. Navigation is done exactly the same way, except that instead of moving the cursor to the screen edges to rotate the view, the cursor stays locked in the center of the screen and any mouse movement begins the rotation. This is a much slicker and more responsive method, so much so that some might want to slow the camera speed to accommodate if necessary. The original control methods remain options as well, should the new method not suit you.

By far the most significant change from the original Scratches to the Director's Cut is the addition of a new playable chapter. Not to be confused with the brief "alternate ending" cinematic mentioned above, the new section is a completely distinct gameplay scenario. It's meant to be played after completing the main game, though you can select if from the main menu any time.

Entitled "The Last Visit", the new chapter casts players in the role of Peter Banks, a reporter sent to investigate the secrets of Blackwood Manor before the imminent demolition of the house. Many years have passed since Michael's terrifying adventure, and it's quickly apparent just how much has happened since then. The mansion has now been heavily vandalized and anything of value smashed or stolen. It's quite fascinating to retrace your own steps and see the deterioration to the once eerie-but-classy Victorian home. There isn't nearly as much to interact with this time, however. Many of the original hotspots are removed (along with the items they belonged to), and entire sections are completely obstructed, limiting your exploration to the central parts of the house, making it clear that this will be a scaled-down return to the old haunts.

Not surprisingly, the gameplay is equally simplified, presenting only a couple of basic puzzles. The new puzzles are inventory-based, and there are only a handful of new objects, although I was confused at first when I began the chapter right after the main game with all of my original items (an aberration that did not occur when I later started the chapter again from the beginning). The new content really won't keep you very busy, so don't expect your last visit to Blackwood Manor to be a long one.

Of course, the gameplay is really only window dressing for the real reason for the chapter: the ending. I won't spoil anything, but suffice to say, "The Last Visit" supplies the definitive answers that the original game did not. The new answers raise new questions, but at least this time you'll end with an "Ooooohhhhh!!" or "I KNEW it!!" instead of the original "Huh??!!" That reaction comes after you retrieve your heart from wherever it's dropped to in the chilling moments preceding it, mind you. While not having the chance to build up nearly the level of tension as the full game, you will definitely be treated to one more reminder of what made Scratches so creepy in the first place.

At some point in future, when the original version of Scratches is no longer in widespread circulation (and perhaps that time has come already), I'd like to see the new chapter and other Director's Cut upgrades offered as a free download, as there does seem an element of unfairness that the earliest adopters should miss out unless they pay twice. In the meantime, whether this enhanced edition is worth picking up depends largely on whether you'll be playing again or for the first time. If you have the first version of the game and are considering the second, its appeal is somewhat limited. None of the new elements are worth the price of admission on their own, unless you're simply dying to see for yourself who or what was behind the Blackwood horrors. But if you've never played Scratches and are debating which version to get, there's no reason at all not to grab the Director's Cut. The additions aren't overwhelming, but they're a nice bonus on top of an already impressive original effort that should satisfy your itch for horror-themed adventure.


Director's Cut review addendum by Jack Allin, added May 9, 2008.