BrokenLore: DON’T LIE Review – Where Your Eyes Belong

No word of a lie, one of my greatest fears is eyeballs where they aren’t supposed to be. So why did I play BrokenLore: DON’T LIE when it unnerved me very early on? And, on the subject of the truth, I’m not a fan of the title. OR THE STICKY CAPS LOCK.

Eyes where they shouldn’t be. Eyes in shoulders, in walls, and worse: hands. Pan’s Labyrinth rocked me for those reasons, as have several other titles I will not name in fear of people who know me putting the heebie-jeebies in, or the other way around and releasing the poo.

A first-person psychological horror, BrokenLore: DON’T LIE branches out of a universe developed by Serafini Productions and published by Wired Productions – no stranger to psychotic breaks, having released the mind-bending Karma: The Dark World.

You play Junko, a recluse or hikikomori if you want to show off, but as we aren’t lying to each other, I’m just quoting from the very first bit of text in the game. She’s essentially a NEET, detached from reality and wants to stay in and play video games. Wait – am I one?!

The Truth Junko Won’t Tell

With an unhealthy reliance on her AI companion, Miki, and a thirst for acceptance, Junko has become a formidable liar. Her digital counsel insists that nobody is interested in Junko with her boring truths. Y’see, telling the truth hasn’t helped Junko in the past, and as a result, saying she’s had a wobble from trauma is an understatement.

The tone is set when Junko’s gaming session is interrupted by a chap at the door wearing a bunny mask who wants her to open the door. Good one. Fortunately, she’s not 100% mental yet and doesn’t yield; however, her mind does as she looks to find her pills.

As she downs a magic pill, her pokey apartment transforms into a stunning Japanese wooden interior, narrated by some childhood memories and is, quite frankly, jaw-dropping. Think Chilla’s Art without the filters, but almost smellable generic Japanese wallpaper that every home has.

The textures are so lucid that I thought this was Wallpaper Simulator. Shifting back to the wooden interior, it becomes clear that BrokenLore: DON’T LIE embraces the liminal space, like a pretty Backrooms game. No, wait: it’s a walking simulator! Shit!

Liminal Spaces, Solid Design

As with The Alighieri Circle: Dante’s Bloodline, walking simulators have to look the business. That’s a great example, but I didn’t know if I was in the mood for another game of its ilk, let alone a liminal space. I get how these are popular among folk like Junko, but aside from being aesthetically pleasing, they’re often lacking substance.

Cue a few objects to fondle, like notes and whatnot, and while BrokenLore: DON’T LIE is a looker, its level design is actually really good, too. In the context of the genre. There are no shortcuts or repeated assets, though the structure intrudes on your insanity. Have I been here before?

Similar to Project Songbird, we’re on a journey into someone’s head, and nothing is straightforward, as I found out with my first stealth challenge versus some eyeballs. Ack! It’s not a big game, but there is variety and a difference in environments rather than soulless corridors.

Hands-On Itchiness

Sometimes a game can set up a great atmosphere, lighting and intriguing premise only to fluff it up with crap third-party models, regurgitated jump scares, or hiding-in-the-closet mechanics.

The standout moment for me was the second time I entered the bathroom, following an ‘itch’ Junko had that didn’t have her reaching for the Vagisil, but the eye in her palm. Holy fucking shit! I know I’m ‘Vulgar’ Knight, and I tend not to drop this kind of language in reviews, but that was my reaction.

I have diverse interests and nice things, too. I like Studio Ghibli, pastel colours and drink frappuccinos when spoiling myself, but this absolute terror pulled me in like a can’t-look-away-from-this-Juni-Ito-illustration mentality. I had to keep playing, but first: Fantasy Boy.

Fantasy Boy is a Wonder Boy-like 2D game that Junko is currently playing in the game, which you can play as well. Due to her mental state and how fractured she is, elements from the game trickle into her reality, and before you know it, you’re wielding a sword to fight oversized mushrooms.

You Can’t Handle The Truth

This doesn’t transform BrokenLore: DON’T LIE into an exciting melee-based FPS all of a sudden, but conceptually, it’s brilliant. Strolling through an isolated subway populated by 3D video game characters was disturbing and suited the mood perfectly.

From my perspective, I was invested in Junko and her imagination, and how that was visually executed rather than high-octane open-world action. As a standalone, there was no need to have played the other titles, and it could appropriately fill in any gaps.

As a fan of Japanese narrative, BrokenLore: DON’T LIE’s storytelling taps into familiar ambiguity. There are things left unexplained, and for some, maybe dissatisfaction that there’s a setup, but not the full execution. I, on the other hand, felt that it was my duty to fill in those gaps, or leave them as is. Either way, I was very satisfied.

The same can’t be said with the juxtaposition of Junko’s face and vocals – they didn’t match. Neither is bad, but it’s like seeing scales on a cat, or perhaps eyeballs in places they shouldn’t be. I wish I hadn’t seen them. But then again, that’s also the appeal—in a degrading, masochistic kind of way.