Past Cure vs Victoria
Past Cure
Past Cure is a story-driven thriller/adventure game where you play as a Syrian ex-army veteran, Ian, who was kidnapped and subjected to horrific, and very much illegal, scientific experiments. As a result, Ian has gained superhuman mental capabilities, including the ability to conjure astral projections and use mind bashes to destroy objects, in addition to his already intensive military training from being a soldier. However, all of this comes at a terrible cost - Ian's mind is destabilized and only the effects of an experimental yet powerful drug called Blue is able to help him keep his mental demons at bay.Although the game contains game mechanics like shooting, melee combat (boxing) and stealth, Past Cure is still primarily a story-oriented adventure game. Progression here is pretty linear, as most single narrative games are, and there aren't a lot of depth when it comes to its game features, with the sole exception of its intriguing storyline and several puzzle-like scenarios. The atmosphere generated in the game is astounding though! The music, especially during creepy scenes, makes your skin crawl, and the game features plenty of brilliantly edited cutscenes with some cool cinematographic effects.
So, despite the negative reviews on Steam, Past Cure is a really well-made interactive experience, story-wise. However, if you're expecting anything else, such as a hardcore stealth-based game, then you might feel like the game's a huge let-down. At least now you know what you can expect before you purchase the game!
Victoria
Victoria is a horror-themed match-3 adventure game that begins with a tragic story. The protagonist in this game, Victoria Miller, lost her husband and two children in an incident involving an aggressive poltergeist. Driven by her bitter need for revenge, she decided to pick up the ancient art of hunting supernatural beings and track the poltergeist across the United States in hopes of slaying it.At its core, Victoria is a pretty standard match-3 puzzle game where you’ll need to make matches of 3 or more in order to remove the items from the playing area. Most levels require you to clear away blue tiles by matching over them but sometimes, you may be asked to make specific matches in order to use the many weapons that will eventually be available to you against the supernatural creature you’ll be fighting. However, what allows this game to stand out from the usual match-3 games out there is the creepy atmosphere it provides and the occasional jump scares that's intended to give you a solid jolt from time to time.
Overall, when it comes to immersion, Victoria hits the nail on the head. However, despite the supernatural-fighting bits, the gameplay in this game can be rather simplistic, and after some time, rather mundane. That said, considering that true horror-themed match-3 games can be pretty rare, Victoria might just fit snugly into the gaming niche it is obviously designed for.