If I told you that social media is an absolute cesspool these days, you probably would shrug it off and roll your eyes. After all, despite the truth behind that statement, we’ve all heard variations of the same sentence for years now. If you grew up in the same generation as I, you undoubtedly got lectures from your parents and teachers about the dangers of cyberbullying, sharing your identity, and engaging with anyone on websites like Facebook, Twitter/X, or Tumblr.
Unsurprisingly, several mediums have focused further on portraying the dangers of the internet. Whether it’s films, books, or TV shows, there have been plenty of examples that depict the mental health costs of social media and all associated sites. Unsurprisingly, video games aren’t immune to this. Where video games differ, however, is the lens through which they choose to explore this concept: horror games. BrokenLore: Unfollow is the latest example of that dynamic.
BrokenLore: Unfollow is a first-person horror game that emphasizes the dangerous impacts that social media can have on those who are mentally troubled. It immerses you in the feelings of inadequacy and resentment, all the while confronting you with terrifying monsters at every corner. How does the game paint a theme that has been done to death at this point, all while creating an experience that is both fun and terrifying in equal measure? Thankfully, BrokenLore: Unfollow is a short and sweet horror story with a powerful narrative theme and good gameplay, despite some strange choices with how it conveys its horror.
A Journey Into a Traumatized Mind
BrokenLore: Unfollow begins with you waking up in a seemingly empty house. You play as Anne, a woman who has been bullied for most of her life. You journey through places with traumatic significance to her, such as her school, a hospital, and others. Along the way, Anne is confronted with monsters that take the form of those who have caused her the most harm. Whether it’s a distorted version of her mom or her bullies in school, Anne must venture past all of them in order to either heal her scars or lose herself further into her obsession.
The premise of Unfollow works great, mainly because of how interesting a protagonist Anne is. As the game continues, you learn more about who she is and how her past has shaped her. For so long, she was bullied at school and by her mother for being overweight, causing her to develop bulimia nervosa. Afterwards, she developed an unhealthy addiction to social media and became a YouTuber by the name of AkiAngel. That parasocial fixation causes her to make a YouTube channel of her own, which only heightens her insecurities.
It’s devastating learning how she has pushed the people around her away due to that aforementioned obsession. You will likely see yourself in her as you play more, whether you have suffered from the same experiences as her, or if you’ve unhealthily tied your self-worth to the people around you. Despite the oversaturation of media that focuses on the dangers of the internet, this feels more poignant due to the writing. It almost feels like the person who wrote it has experienced these issues firsthand and can speak from experience, rather than it being written by someone who has overgeneralized the ills of social media.
That said, the way in which Anne is forced to confront the darkest parts of her psyche does feel a little cliched. If you are jumping into Unfollow as a fan of other horror games, you will likely notice the similarities to games like Resident Evil 7 or the Silent Hill series. In fact, the moment I woke up in Anne’s house, I immediately thought of the very first Resident Evil 7 demo and P.T. It didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the game by any means, but it did sometimes get a bit distracting, especially when you consider the psychological nature of the areas she visits.
However, there are still plenty of things that Unfollow does that are unique from other titles. One of my favorite aspects is the use of mixed media. Throughout the game, Anne will meet AkiAngel herself, who is depicted entirely in live action on television sets. On these same sorts of TV sets, you’ll find videos titled “The Animal in You,” where a scientist/TV host continuously compares Anne to specific animals that reflect her struggle, such as an earthworm or a honey badger. It reminded me a bit of Alan Wake 2, which you will never see me complaining about.
Additionally, two of the major areas in the game end with you deciding whether Anne should take revenge against or forgive her tormentors. The ending you get will depend on which choices you make. It’s worth noting, though, that I picked revenge for one choice and forgiveness for another, and I got the good ending, so do keep that in mind. I’m also curious to see whether the collectibles you find, such as the dolls, mysterious elysium symbols, and records, also impact the ending you get. Thanks to the short runtime, Unfollow is very easy to replay.
As a whole, BrokenLore: Unfollow succeeds when it comes to its narrative and themes, and despite some sections that are a bit too reminiscent of other entries in the genre, its creativity in other aspects makes up for these issues. When it comes to a horror game, though, narrative is only half of what makes it good. The other half comes down to how fun it is to play and how scary it is. While the gameplay is well done, the horror elements leave a lot to be desired.
Scary For All The Wrong Reasons
Throughout most of the 2010s, horror games focused less on survival elements and more on raw fear. This would usually come in the form of short, first-person experiences where you trade a means to defend yourself for an overabundance of jumpscares. Sometimes, you’d get some incredible games, such as with the aforementioned P.T. In other cases, though, you’d get titles that feel as though they were geared towards getting a reaction from YouTubers rather than creating meaningful horror. At times, BrokenLore: Unfollow fits into the latter category.
To start with, there are sections where the atmosphere of Unfollow feels incredibly unnerving. There were very few moments where I wasn’t constantly on edge, such as in the hospital area and in the final chapter. Sometimes the uneasiness comes from how creepy the designs of these areas are. One of my favorites is in the penultimate chapter, where you encounter a liminal pool space that looks extremely well-realized in the game’s engine.
That being said, there are just as many sections where the tension doesn’t come from a well-constructed atmosphere, but instead stems from the fear of encountering a jumpscare. Unfollow has several moments where a monster appears out of nowhere, accompanied by a loud noise. While these scares did admittedly startle me, the game has a bad habit of using frequent jumpscares, and it just felt cheap at points.
It even started to get a bit frustrating when I was jumpscared for the tenth time. This is mainly because I never felt actually “scared,” and instead, I was simply surprised by the loud noise for a second. As a result, unlike other games in the genre, there weren’t really any moments where I felt like I was genuinely terrified. In a few months, I likely won’t remember any of Unfollow‘s jumpscares or tense moments.
I will say that, despite how infuriating it sometimes was to wander around an area in fear because I didn’t want to be attacked by a loud noise and scary image, the act of exploration was still pretty fun. None of these areas felt labyrinthian in nature, so I never felt like I had no idea where to go or that I was lost. Even though there were plenty of moments where a terrifying monster was chasing me, there were just as many points where I was drawn in by the scenery, and was given the time to find collectibles scattered around the environment.
The late game, in particular, is far better at conveying tension compared to the first hour. In the aforementioned liminal space, there are no monsters, there is no music, and for a long time, you are just wandering in silence. At first, I thought the act of walking around was pretty boring. As I continued to roam the area, though, I only felt more uneasy because of just how isolating it felt. This was easily my favorite part of the game, and a great example of how less can be more when it comes to horror.
There is also a great amount of creativity in the gameplay. Of course, like most horror games, you get access to a flashlight. However, the flashlight has a limited amount of battery, and when you get to a new section, you have to find batteries so you don’t fumble around in the dark. In the late game, you get access to a phone that doubles as both a flashlight and a way to defend yourself against certain monsters.
In general, while I was oftentimes frustrated by the sheer amount of jumpscares that felt like a substitute for well-constructed atmosphere, there were just as many moments where I was impressed and unnerved by the quieter moments. Further, the overall gameplay is quite well-executed, and thanks to the short runtime, I never felt bored or exhausted while playing. While BrokenLore: Unfollow isn’t exactly the best horror game I’ve ever played, at the end of the day, it succeeds at what it set out to do.
An Ever Relevant Message
In the past, I’ve talked at length about how much I admire the malleability of the horror genre. Regardless if you’re picking up an indie title with visuals inspired by old PlayStation 1 games or one that balances action and survival horror in equal measure, you’re likely going to have a great time. BrokenLore: Unfollow may not reinvent the wheel or provide anything innovative, but I still enjoyed myself while playing it.
The game emphasizes its message of the dangers of social media and parasocial relationships and manages to make something moving out of a theme that has been done to death, yet remains relevant in the modern day. The characters, specifically the protagonist, feel real because of some great writing and world-building. In spite of some areas that feel derivative of its contemporaries, there are just as many concepts that it introduces that are unique and very well-executed.
Plus, while I was sometimes annoyed by the plethora of jumpscares at every corner, the actual feeling of exploration was very satisfying. Running from monsters and hunting down collectibles never got old, and thanks to the short runtime, I don’t think getting all the endings and completing the entire game is a hard ask. While I was never blown away by Unfollow, there weren’t any moments where I wanted to stop playing either.
If you’re a fan of the horror genre and want something shorter while you wait for the next major AAA or indie game, then BrokenLore: Unfollow is the game for you. After all, it’s a great reminder to step away from social media and to instead focus on having fun rather than obsessing over getting as many likes as possible. Now, I’m very curious to see what Serafini Productions does next with BrokenLore: Ascend.
Disclaimer: Serafini Productions provided a PlayStation 5 copy of BrokenLore: Unfollow for review purposes.
