If you’re familiar with my writing, then you’ll know that while I genuinely love that there is a prominent indie horror scene, it’s also one I need to approach with hesitation. Hence why The Renovator: Origins surprised me because I wasn’t aware there was a The Renovator in the first place, let alone an origin story for it to have. Following Look Outside and KARMA: The Dark World, apparently late March/early April is just the time for horror—given the state of the world, I guess that tracks.
The Renovator: Origins feels like a game I’ve talked about 100 times in the past because it is exactly the kind of game I’ve used as an example of what not to do when making a horror game. It is a trite experience that does nothing to innovate and commits almost every sin of the horror genre. Honestly, I would be more upset about this game if it wasn’t so conventional.
The story concerns the son of an art restorer who goes to his father’s studio to collect some personal effects... Read more