Past Cure review for PS4, Xbox One

Past Cure is probably better than its reputation suggests. It?s currently the worst-scored game of 2018 on Metacritic, and if previous years? lows are anything to go by, it stands a very good chance of retaining that dubious honour for the rest of the year. However, while I can?t think of anything worse that I?ve played so far this year off the top of my head, I?m positive that I?ve played worse than this.

After all, Past Cure stands apart from the real drek simply by virtue of the fact that a) it?s not broken, and b) I?m able to tell what its creators were going for. They basically wanted to make a paranormal-infused version of Hitman, and the fact I was able to tell that just from playing it is a sign that, in some ways, they got the broad outline right. Compared to other reverse-GOTY winners, those are two major points in its favour.

Here?s the thing, though: it?s still irredeemably bad. It may get the broad outline right, but everything going on within those lines is simply awful. The story is stupid. The voice-acting is laughably bad. The combat is clunky and awkward, as is basic character movement. The graphics look like bargain basement PS3-quality, and that?s probably being incredibly generous. You name an aspect of the game where things could go wrong, and I can guarantee you that they do. Past Cure is just a bad, bad game.

But, again, it works. Whatever other flaws it may have — and it has so, so, so many — Past Cure has that simple thing going for it: you could get from beginning to end without it ever breaking on you in any serious way. You?ll cringe or laugh at some of the horrible dialogue, you?ll get bored by the repetitive nature of the tasks in front of you, and you?ll wonder what the point of the whole thing is, but, throughout it all, you?ll always be able to say that Past Cure works. So…I guess it has that going for it?

Phantom 8 provided us with a Past Cure PS4 code for review purposes.