With the success of the 2020s Mystery remake, it was only a matter of time before its sequel, Torn, saw similar treatment. So, we have four years later, the newly updated version of Torn This promises to be more than just a flashy graphical upgrade.
As I pointed out in my original overview for Torn, there have been some subtle changes here and there – although from my personal perspective as someone who never played the original, I'd go back to it anyway. That said, for those familiar with the series, it's something to keep in mind.
The path Torn begins is charged with a kind of mystery. You immediately find yourself facing a man named Atrus, who gives you some kind of important book. After that, you are taken away, locked in a prison, have your book stolen by an inscrutable stranger, before being released onto the rocks of an island.
From there, the story integrates itself into the environment around you, and it is from the beginning and through exploration and puzzle solving that the main objective becomes clear: free Catherine, Atrus' wife, and capture Gehn, the one who imprisoned her.
The premise is quite simple, and much of the surrounding flavor text is discovered in things like your journal, as well as in observing each unique environment.
Torn takes place on a series of islands, the Age of Riven, that you must traverse to reach the final conclusion. Each one is quite unique in the sense that you never really encounter the same place twice. From the golden-domed island you wake up on, to a jungle island, and even a prison, the variety of locations is a place Torn excels in.
I found that a good portion of my playtime was spent admiring each environment. Because that's what you do in Tornyou are encouraged to explore everything to avoid missing some important details that you may need later in your explorations.
Fully rendered 3D environments are lovingly detailed, from cliffs, sand, rocks, metal materials, foliage and water. It's clear there's been a lot of love put into the transition to a modern version of Torn.
Along each island you will encounter puzzles of different varieties. There's going to be some trial and error going through doors, crossing bridges, and solving smaller puzzles using symbols found in places like a village.
Gameplay is simple, involving pointing and clicking (even on the controller) and moving things like levers, pressing buttons, and other objects. There are even a few options for taking in-game screenshots that go into your journal, as well as an easy-to-access, one-button satchel for storing inventory.
Everything is very thorough, and there are even some aspects that don't always lead to anything meaningful and that's okay. One thing in particular that I found enjoyable was being able to move on to the next island without completing everything as I went along.
This element of freedom gives Torn a zen feeling. When you're not searching for artifacts and the puzzles that go with them, the lack of urgency in the game world creates a quiet beauty and great immersion, even if there are a few people hiding.
The puzzles themselves offer a lot of critical thinking, and there were many times when I played Torn that I felt like I was questioning myself. Being able to move back and forth certainly helps, and ultimately I felt that some of the trickier puzzles inspired a sense of accomplishment.
There isn't really a set difficulty level in Torn – it’s as hard as making it yourself – but paying attention to it is a big part of it. The majority of these puzzles come from smaller puzzles that must be solved first, while gathering clues from around the world. That said, it can get frustrating when some of them feel like there aren't enough clues about what to do, and the lack of direction doesn't always make sense , which leads to a lot of aimless back and forth.
As I said, I never played the original. TornOr Mystery Besides, despite all this, I found it interesting to try to understand all the little elements of knowledge scattered around to discover.
Much of it is visual, like little windows you peek through to see historical depictions and other times there are books you can read with more direct information.
The element of choice also comes into play Torn in a big way. Certain choices, without going directly into spoilers, may produce different results. So much that Torn actually has bad endings that you can end up in if you make what could be considered a bad decision.
TornThe remake status lends itself to its strong performance. Cyan's choice to develop on Unreal Engine 5 is in full force here with smooth performance without sacrificing visual fidelity – not that there's much to do to really push the game, but it's a solid experience Nevertheless.
TornThe music is quite pleasant and I was pleased to see voiceovers for the minimal character interactions that exist. The characters, like Gehn and the discovery of his history, were one of the main draws for me during my playthrough.
Overall, this new version of Torn is very engaging, even if you're just looking for a low-stakes puzzle game. The point-and-click gameplay, along with the lack of real information or dialogue, makes it accessible in a way that was unexpected for me.
Although some of the puzzles are difficult and not always clear, I think the overall presentation, as well as exploring the detailed environments without a real learning curve, shows that Torn can be enjoyed by anyone, even if they haven't played the original version or even the previous game Mystery.
After dipping my toes into the world of Torn, I now want to go back and experience the beginnings myself. Then after that, maybe see again Torn for another point of view. Riven looks like a game with good replay value, and I'm keen to put that to the test.
TechRaptor reviewed Torn on PC with developer-provided code over approximately 10 hours of gameplay – all screenshots were captured during the review process.
