Last year, indie publisher Akupara Gameshad quite the stellar lineup of gamesthat impressed, includingAstrea: Six-Sided Oracles,which ended up being one of my favorite games of the year, and the criminally-overlookedUniverse For Sale.So naturally, I jumped at the chance to check out another batch of upcoming games from them, even if it was smaller than before. This includedEverafter Falls,a cozy farming sim from SquareHusky that had a unique meta setup, which was fun and had a charming cast of characters, but I sadly didn’t have enough time to get a deeper look at any of the more interesting game mechanics. There was alsoCryptmaster,a unique dungeon crawler from Paul Hart and Lee Williams that centered around typing-based combat and having to solve word puzzles to unlock new abilities, all with a striking black and white art style and a unique host of sorts that felt like one part Dungeon Master, one part character from an old VHS board game, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Closing Time
Both were impressive titles in their own ways, but the game that caught my eye (if I didn’t make that clear already) isSorry We’re Closed,a new survival horror title from à la mode games. What’s impressive is that despite a few standouts likeLunisticeandSignalis,I’ve been a bit sour on a lot of fifth-generation throwbacks, largely because they tend to opt for a “warts and all” approach. But things seem to be improving in this area, asSorry We’re Closedis aiming to be an impressive tribute to the likes ofSilent Hill.Actually, I’ve seen the game described as a sort of an “LGBTSilent Hill” in some places, and that was already one unique hook. The game centers around Michelle, a young woman who heads home one night to bed, and is awoken later by an eerie, tall, seductive demon. The demon says Michelle now has a few days left before she’s theirs, and the next thing you know, it’s a trip through a demon world to try and lift this curse.
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The story sets off an interesting mystery in its opening bits, hinting at a twisted, toxic relationship. Michelle then heads into a sort of demon realm, a twisted subway station, where a friend of theirs gives them advice and weaponry to help them get through things. We also get introduced to the echoes of a greedy woman with a lot of money who apparently went on a wee bit of a killing spree, as evidenced by documents you’re able to find and, well, the initial introduction of them killing someone, but exactly what the connection is to this world and our antagonist has yet to be uncovered. To start figuring that out, we have to explore the area and solve a few puzzles.
And getting into the gameplay here, this is whereSorry We’re Closedshows off something that easily helps it stand apart from similar survival horror throwbacks: Michelle’s newfound Third Eye ability. At the push of button, an aura of sorts extends around Michelle and reveals the real world to us, which can alter her surroundings and allow her to cross obstacles or reveal clues. It’s a unique touch in the idea of different dimensions or dual-world gameplay in horror, as the Silent Hillseries has had. In most of those games, you switch between dimensions through certain points. Here, the switch is done all around Michelle, which not only makes for more interesting gameplay, but also serves as an extension of Michelle’s vibrant design standing out from the grungier demon world, serving as a bit of a contrast.
So the Third Eye is definitely an addition that makes the gameplay inSorry We’re Closedmore fun, expanding upon the traditional fixed-camera exploration-based setup. More importantly, it even extends to combat as well. In regular combat, the player can switch to a first person view and attack enemies, which is fun and effective enough. But with the Third Eye active, any enemies who step into your aura will have their weak points exposed, allowing you to hit for more damage, preferably with your gun. The catch is that you canonlydamage their weak points while in this state, so precision is required in order to master this twist.
With its unique gameplay, story and atmosphere,Sorry We’re Closedfinds a way to build upon classic survival horror structures of yore and make something unique and special, while still crafting a proper homage. It’s one to watch out for later this year, so keep your Third Eye open.
