Scratches

The Good
The graphics, while nothing spectacular, have the right feel and really capture the mood of the dusty old mansion. Some scenes, like the chapel, are actually quite beautiful. The music is quiet and very minimalistic, which suits the game perfectly, creating just the right atmosphere for a horror story. And yes, it gets really scary.

The Bad
The story is full of clichés from the very beginning and the more you progress, the more clichéd it gets. I don't want to spoil anything, but haven't we seen enough ancient African cursed masks already? I get this is a sort of an homage to H.P.Lovecraft (there is actually a painting of Cthulhu in the manor), but I'd rather see something more original. "Scratches" often feels like "Alone in the Dark" without the action. What's worse, however, is the puzzle design. While the puzzles are mostly logical, they rely a lot on pixel hunting (particularly painful with a 360° three-dimensional view) and very often you simply have no idea what to do next - you can't, for example, end the first day without dealing first with a certain inconspicuous piece of paper. The game, however, never even hints that this paper might be important and because the manor is quite large and you can never be sure you didn't overlook anything, playing without referring to a walkthrough could be very tedious. One particular number-lock puzzle towards the end of the game is pretty much unsolvable unless you have a walkthrough or endless patience. I am a devoted adventure gamer, but I have to admit I missed action in "Scratches". Nothing ever happens in the game except in two very short dream sequences. Most of the playing time is spent walking around the manor trying to find out what are you supposed to do next, which is not particularly interesting, and solving a puzzle just leads to another puzzle without any reward. The very end is also rather anticlimactic and made me feel slightly cheated.

The Bottom Line
If you are looking for a scary gaming experience and don't mind a terribly unoriginal story and a very slow pace, "Scratches" is just for you. Unless you are really very patient, I recommend having a walkthrough handy - but then you'll notice that the game is actually quite short. Overall, it is not a bad game, but don't worry if you miss it.