![]() That assumes, of course, that a player is willing to subject themselves to a second playthrough anytime soon. You might be wandering aimlessly around the environment for a long time on your first run, or you might be having to scoot back and forth to trigger the next step in the chain on a subsequent playthrough. Compounding this frustration is the fact certain dialog segments don’t trigger until you cross a specific threshold at a certain time. Worse, there are items which a player might suspect exist given the dialogue, but never turn up. But there are some items which a player’s meta-knowledge of adventure games would suggest they try to pick up, and the inability to do so can be frustrating at times. Some objects have descriptions of what they are, generally obvious but occasionally snarky as a nod to Nicole’s point-of-view. Rachel Foster uses a very obvious fixed cursor. This wouldn’t be quite so bad if you didn’t know they were potentially accessible in the first place. ![]() Certain items do not become active until you reach a particular point in the story. Nicole’s mother Claire, however, doesn’t get as much visual exposure.įirst off, the mechanics are badly simplified. Another oversight seems to be a duplication to certain textures for items such as audio cassettes and VHS tapes.Īside from that, we’re treated to some decent “environmental storytelling” through the various books and objects which Nicole can pick up and examine, giving us a better idea about Leonard McGrath, Rachel’s father, as well as Nicole’s life before leaving. Under other circumstances, it would be understandable, but it feels like an oversight in this case something the developers didn’t think about or properly consider. It is a little jarring, though, that we never get an opportunity to see Nicole in any of the mirrors. ![]() A number of items had knockoff labels of actual products which look correct for the time period, a fine detail which adds a note of verisimilitude to the experience. There was a little texture cracking in some spots, but overall, the environment was neatly put together. The game is set in the mid-1990s, but the decor of the Timberline seems to date back to the early 1960s, and the developers should feel proud they managed to split the difference so deftly. You won’t be leaving.”įrom a visual perspective, the Unreal engine is well used in The Suicide of Rachel Foster, helping to create a good atmosphere, as well as creating the “frozen in time” feel of the Timberline Lodge, the resort where Nicole spends her entire time. A posthumous letter from Nicole’s mother directs her to visit the resort in preparation to sell it, and Nicole dutifully drives to the mountains of Montana to start the inspection. From what we learn through playing the game, Rachel disappeared and was found weeks later from an apparent suicide. ![]() Nicole hasn’t seen her father in over a decade after leaving the lodge abruptly right after Christmas, in the wake of his affair with Nicole’s friend, the titular Rachel Foster, being revealed. Players assume the role of Nicole Wilson, a young woman who has just inherited a ski resort from her recently deceased father. Unfortunately, The Suicide of Rachel Foster doesn’t get it right. When done right, these games involve the player in a way that bridges the gap between video game and gripping dramatic cinema. Games like The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and What Remains of Edith Finch have established the conceit of a limited environment where players move about and solve simple puzzles in furtherance of the story. ![]()
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