How do you deal with the fallout of losing a loved one? Recall: Empty Wishes investigates that premise with a dash of magic. You follow the journey of four characters as they deal with various parts of their life, culminating in one of them disappearing. Following their journey is only possible through magic, allowing you to view perspectives they didn’t share with others. Based on those perspectives, how do you handle the fact that a loved one might not come home?
Recall: Empty Wishes is a psychological horror adventure by Full Hook Studio that looks at the disappearance of Tommy Lin. His sister Yonny Lin, accompanied by her best friend Phoebe Jian, attempts to find him through a magic ritual. Both girls get more than they bargained for as the ritual brings them into a dream-like world. They must deal with uncomfortable truths and visions to figure out what happened to Tommy.
The story is one of the most heart-wrenching and touching narratives you will experience. Even if you aren’t familiar with Taiwanese culture, you can easily relate to some of the story themes. Parental favoritism, classroom ostracization, and regret are just some of the topics seen through the lens of Taiwan in the 2010s. You may not agree with the decisions each character makes, but you can sympathize and understand where they came from.
Everything you see Recall: Empty Wishes is something that could happen in real life. No one is perfect, their fears are understandable, and the conflicts are ordinary. That helps ground the story and allows you to relate to the characters and each story beat to resonate within you, concluding with an ending that deeply touches your emotional core. It’s hard to think of another way to end the story without ruining what the characters have learned and discovered.
Ironically, the story’s biggest weaknesses are the supernatural focus and the psychological horror. Recall: Empty Wishes throws a lot of magical concepts at you in the beginning and implies it is important. But other than providing the entrance into the realm, magic never makes a big impact. It actually muddies the story’s themes because you don’t know if something is real or an image. Once magic takes a backseat, the story finds its momentum and truly becomes powerful.
In the same way, Recall: Empty Wishes’ horror aspects also take away from the story. Apart from a few minor jump scares, there’s nothing that truly terrifies you. There’s also a brief survival horror segment towards the game’s end that feels out-of-place. While there is a point to some of the horrifying images you see, the horror ends up being more confusing than scary. As with magic, whenever the game stops relying on horror, the story truly shines and becomes memorable.
The strength of Recall: Empty Wishes’ storytelling is seen through its imagery. While the characters in-game have a slight pixelated effect, the symbolism reflected in the still images is impressive. These are the times where the game’s most emotional moments come in. From happier memories to dreams of the future, what could and what will never be becomes apparent. That imagery also lends its strength to the ending, making it hard to hold your emotions back.
Recall: Empty Wishes’ background music is soft, letting you experience the story in peace. There are some scary moments where the typical horror music kicks in but those are rare. The true strength of the music comes in towards the middle, when emotional moments are being laid bare. Without overpowering or interfering with the story, it supports the character’s feelings or emotions at the time.
The gameplay of Recall: Empty Wishes is a 2D adventure where you explore parts of Yonny’s house and occasionally Tommy’s school. You must search the house for clues or puzzles to proceed. No clue is too obtuse though you may need to spend time searching for it. There are also no overly challenging puzzles to stall your progress. You could comfortably finish the game within three hours and experience all that it has to offer.
This ease lets you focus on the story and make the exploration feel organic. You feel like a detective uncovering the truth behind Tommy’s disappearance, or figuring out how events actually played out. You aren’t struggling to proceed from chapter to chapter or reaching roadblocks. There are a few difficult puzzles but you won’t be searching every nook and cranny for the most part.
It would be nice to have a summary or reminder of what your objective is. Given how often the story shifts from character to character, it’s not always clear what your goal is. Sometimes it’s obvious but if you don’t play the game in a single sitting, it’s easy to forget. This is also true when the game enters its brief survival horror phase, because you are largely unprepared for it. Reminders would help the player know what they must do and not get caught on the details.
Recall: Empty Wishes draws inspiration from other storytelling games to deliver a powerful story. That story is unintentionally weakened by its own premise, but recovers in time to focus on what’s important. Thanks to the great imagery and soft music, each emotional moment stands out more. Gameplay guides you through the story and isn’t hard enough to stump you. It’s not perfect, but Recall: Empty Wishes delivers an unforgettable narrative that keeps you thinking long after the story ends.
Victor played Recall: Empty Wishes on PC with a provided review copy.
