

One of these does a lot to fill in some details that we didn’t quite get the first time around. There aren’t a ton of new additions like these, but there are a couple of all-new sections. I misunderstood how this puzzle worked due to a timing issue, though. Getting into the back room in the sheriff’s station now requires a little puzzle that makes the scene less questionable than Kathy brazenly walking back there without issue. Puzzles are also mostly the same, although there are occasional new steps.

I still clicked, though, as it is an adventure game. You can even play the game with a controller and manipulate Kathy directly - if you prefer this method over clicking around.

The way Kathy moves in the update is almost night and day in comparison. Many visual effects have been added, and animations have been improved. Dragging and dropping inventory items onto things in the environment is also a lot better than the previous system. It greatly streamlines the gameplay, making for a much smoother, intuitive experience.

Do I use it, do I approach it? Now, one click does it all. Before, you’d click things and often have choices. There’s also a major change on the interface front. Due to these two changes, there’s simply very little reason to ever play the original release again. The pixel artwork is lovely, so it’s nice to be able to have more to look at. Before, there were black bars on the sides at all times. On top of that, the aspect ratio is now widescreen. The regular version was locked at 40 fps, but you can play this one at high framerates without issue. It’s honestly worth playing this release over the original solely due to the launcher’s removal. What follows is an intriguing mystery that goes into the supernatural, more so than it seems it could. Upon reacquainting herself with her grandmother, she learns that there are some serious questions lingering as to what exactly happened to her grandfather shortly after her mother took her away. Kathy’s grandfather, who she hasn’t seen in years, has passed away, so she returns to her hometown to go to his funeral. If you haven’t played it before, Kathy Rain: Director’s Cut tells a Twin Peaks-inspired story that starts off with one of my least favorite narrative tropes. There isn’t all that much new stuff, but Kathy Rain remains an engrossing, smart adventure game that gripped me from start to finish. The game runs on a brand new engine and has a small number of significant differences that make it much easier to play than its previous incarnation. The game isn’t free to owners of the original, and it’s so technologically different that it likely couldn’t have been updated without being replaced outright. The hardest thing about critically assessing Kathy Rain: Director’s Cut is that, while the game is noticeably different from its original release, it’s not that different in regards to content.
