I enjoyed the game, it has a good mix of variety and familiarity. The mechanics of using the torch & stealth are easy to get used to, and the game introduces more mechanics later on as the story progresses, which ensures the gameplay doesn't become stale. Most of the puzzles are straightforward enough to complete without external help, with the exception of a few slightly challenging ones. The game does a good job of creating an unsettling atmosphere with the creepy town, patrolling monsters, and a general sense of helplessness without resorting to gore or venturing into R-rated territory. The story is supported by decent voice-acting and hand-drawn style cutscenes which encourages you to empathise with the main characters and find out the truth behind why the town looks so creepy and weird. Besides the present-day plot about Sally's cousin getting bullied at school, there is also hidden lore in the game about the town's history that is not explicitly mentioned in the main storyline. To uncover the hidden lore, you have to hunt for collectibles which are scattered around the map. Thankfully, the game's semi-open zone design means that you're able to backtrack to previous areas, which remain accessible instead of being blocked off in other more linear games. Overall, people who like a story-oriented adventure game (rather than pure horror) won't be disappointed with this title.
This is a visual novel game where all you have to do is read the dialogue and press next. There's not a lot of interactivity, except for checking your phone and playing the optional minigame Kabufuda Solitaire. Throughout the course of the game, you'll meet several clients (some of them are repeat visitors) who are experiencing depression, anxiety, and relationship problems. The AI you're interacting with goes through a fixed phase of Introduction-Discovery-Challenge-Intervention-Conclusion and will generate a script that you're not allowed to deviate from. As the game progresses, it made me think if such a formulatic and rigid model is the most effective and helpful approach or not. Outside of therapy sessions, you get to interact with several characters such as the rebellious Nora, the old yet ambitious Soren, and the cold calculative Rainer. They all are quite well developed with distinct personalities, with varying opinions on how technology should be utilised. Despite the lack of animation and artwork variety, the game makes up for it with solid voice acting that brings the characters' personalities to life. The background music complements the scenes, changing to reflect the current mood. Without spoiling anything, there are multiple endings to this game, despite it being mostly linear up till the last chapter. There's no 100% right or wrong decision, as the game shows, it's really up to you which decision you choose to make, there's no perfect choice, perfect moment. I'm really hoping there would be a sequel or prequel to the game, as there's still several areas and character backstories that could be further explored.
