Titanic Escape Simulator 리뷰 (PC)

RMS Titanic’s 대서양 초항해는 바다의 광활한 심연처럼 신중하고 최대한의 존경을 가지고 다루어야 할 주제이다. 이것은 특히 비디오 게임과 관련될 때 부표처럼 기대하기 쉬운 사안이 아니다. 하지만 Titanic Escape Simulator 는 역사적 서사를 도전하려는 것으로 보이며, 이를 통해 그 영향에 대한 깊은 통찰을 제공하고자 한다. 제임스 카메론의 각색에 경의를 표하는 직역 메시지를 전달하려는 것이 아니라, 선박의 오른쪽(우현)에 자신의 의견을 더하고자 한다. Escaping 은 한 가지이지만, 빙산과 충돌할 운명의 배 안에서 mystery를 풀어내는 것이 여정의 가장 중요한 부분이다. 혹은 적어도, 그것이 우리에게 wants 전하고자 하는 내용이다.

Titanic Escape Simulator 는 두 부분으로 나뉘며, one 부분은 충돌 이전 조사에 초점을 맞춘다—배의 먼 구석을 탐색하고, 사적인 일들을 뒤져보며, 다양한 승객들에게 그들의 경험과 숨겨진 미스터리와의 연관성을 질문하는 부분이다—그리고 두 번째 부분은 post-충돌 사건에 초점을 맞추어, 오른쪽(우현)을 헤매며 필요를 조율하고 여러 가능한 엔딩 중 하나를 향해 나아가게 된다. 승객을 구하거나 특정 인물을 이기적으로 구하거나, 최악의 경우 정의를 위해 스스로 살아남아야 하는 옵션도 있다. 이것이 빙산의 일각에 불과하다. 그러나 바닥 없는 바다처럼, 인접한 두 해안 사이의 물결에 훨씬 더 많은 것을 쏟아낸다.

The initial sequence of Titanic Escape Simulator is a bit like This Bed We Made—an investigative chore sim that, while still largely lacking in visual fidelity and complex character development, builds on the art of breadcrumb-laced storytelling. As a detective, it falls to you to explore the nooks and crannies of the vessel, ask questions that others wouldn’t dare entertain, and complete light environmental puzzles that ultimately grant you access to unkept areas aboard the ship. As the collision with the iceberg looms on the horizon, the mystery continues to grow, and the choices that you need to make gradually become more difficult. Who will survive the wreckage, and how will the story end? The burden is your cross the bear, and it’s yours alone.

For what it’s worth, Titanic Escape Simulator gets a lot of things right. Light puzzle-solving aside, it goes a lot deeper than your average escape room sim. With dynamic weather conditions, on-board events, and free-flowing ocean water that keeps you on your toes as you aimlessly wade through the ripples in search of an exit, the game provides a lot for you to ponder as you slowly thread the needle. To add, it utilizes basic survival-like facets surprisingly well, with stamina and temperature control playing a major role in the overall experience.

Of course, Titanic Escape Simulator tries to cram as much luggage into its cargo hold as possible, if only to broaden its reach. Stealth, for example, plays a role in the story, as do puzzles, platforming segments, and multi-choice endings. It’s an ambitious game, and it becomes awfully apparent right from the get-go that it isn’t a simple concept, but a bold one that wants to do a lot more than the average indie simulation game. I can appreciate that, too, because it strives to deliver a lot of content that can produce a great deal of replay value. Not that you would want to flee from a sinking ship twice, mind you. Titanic Escape Simulator, on the other hand, is a tolerable voyage that I personally didn’t mind hoarding two or three times, if only for the sake of seeing how certain choices would impact the outcome.

As with most independently published love letters to non-fictional events, there is an elephant in the room that deserves to be acknowledged. Chances are, you have seen photographs of the Titanic at some point in time. Well, Titanic Escape Simulator certainly tries to capture a lot of those interior details, including the ever-famous grand staircase, bathing decks, cabins, and engine rooms. The problem is, it doesn’t look all that great. Don’t get me wrong, you can clearly spot the similarities here, as you can tell by the attention to detail that the developer has put in a lot of effort into rebuilding the ship’s most iconic features. That being said, it’s a lot easier to take it all with a pinch of salt. It might pretend to be the RMS Titanic, but it obviously lacks the grand-scale depth, the complex atmosphere, and the intricate design elements. But that’s an indie game for you, in a nutshell.

While there isn’t a perfect game here, there is one that fills a gap in the market and dares to tread lightly in historical grounds. With some unnerving gameplay, daring consequences, and light interactive puzzles to tide you over, it evidently captures a passable world that, while still lacking in several pivotal areas, ought to give history buffs a little something to write home about. Could it do with a little extra technical polish to help iron out its hull and its hinges? Yes. Does it make for a memorable maiden voyage, regardless of its graphical flaws and technical limitations? I think so, yes. Just, eh, don’t expect it to hold a candle against James Cameron’s blockbuster movie, because it is ocean’s apart from it.

Verdict

Titanic Escape Simulator is an ambitious game that tries to harbor more luggage than the average budget indie sim, but it’s also one that doesn’t technically excel in any particular area. On the one hand, you have a bold game that minces palpable world-building with intense escape room-like elements. But on the other, you have a two-for-one experience that makes good on its promise to deliver one great journey, but not a complete anthology that waxes the best of both worlds. Honestly, though, it is an entertaining game, and more importantly, it’s a game that dares to tread waters that other have often failed to stay afloat in. Maybe that’s worth an extra point, maybe it isn’t.