2 Minute Reviews – The Park

I love fiction! I especially love short fiction. I really especially love short scary fiction. Actually my favorite is short scary psychological fiction.
That’s why ” The Park” caught my eye. I bought it. I played it. And I really enjoyed it!

Game Summary – Plot and Mechanics
Think of “The Park” as a walkthrough short scary psychological fiction story. There are no weapons, no damage counter, no combat and very limited interaction. It is a first person horror narrative that you experience rather than “play.”
The player takes on the person of Lorraine, a mother who is facing a real-life disturbing situation: she has lost her son, Callum.

Or has she?
The story takes place in the Atlantic Island Fun Park where Lorraine searches for Callum and where bizarre occurrences make you wonder what is really going on in Lorraine’s mind. There’s something here that you’re not being told. Don’t worry though, by the time your ride is over, the story will reveal it’s disturbing end.

Graphics Assessment
Released in 2015, The Park is built using the Unreal engine, so it looks great, but not astounding. Still, it was enjoyable to play and the environments were believable
and immersive. And creepy!

Gameplay Assessment
Essentially, Lorraine moves from one attraction in the park to the next, remembering scenes and finding notes along the way that begin to clarify parts of her and Callum’s past. From the Ferris wheel, to the fun house, to the bumber cars and rollercoaster, each part of the park is interactive and come together to tell the compelling story of Lorraine and Callum.
Like the roller coaster, the story is linear. If you get lost, you can “call out” to callum, and clues will lead you in the right direction.

What we liked – unique features
There seems to be a linear design consistency in both the gameplay and the environment. You travel a clearly marked path to discover the secrets of the story. Just like the roller coaster, the story is “on rails” – unfolding at your pace, but in it’s own way. That’s a design characteristic that I noticed and appreciated. It felt like reading a digital book.
In fact, later in the game, you find yourself going down the same hall over and over – with slightly differences in each walkthrough – until things progress to their horrifying conclusion where things are VERY different than when they started.

Calling out to callum allows you to use audible clues to know which direction to go when you hear his reply. Also, a visual distortion in the environment when you call points you in the right direction so the story keeps moving.

What we didn’t like
This game is short. It took me 1 hour and 16 minutes to finish the game completely, (find the entire playthrough at http://twitch.tv/atechgaming) and even though there is no variation to drive replayability, I wouldnt mind playing it again to experience the jump scares and beautiful visuals all over again. But, the game was $4 on Steam so it wasn’t a huge price to pay for a fun hour or so.
The story could have been revealed a bit differently so as to clarify some plot points, but we can’t complain about that until we write our own scary story, can we! 🙂

Summary and Recommendation
If you like scary fiction or graphic novels, and games that dont make you look for keys for hours on end to open doors you can’t find, you may enjoy this game. It’s scary (One of the characters that appeared standing by me without warning gave me a “5 Nights At Freddy’s” moment) and genuinely entertaining.
“The Park” is short but fun, and the price is right. It is beautiful and downright creepy. Pick it up and let us know your thoughts after playing!

.:ATG:. DMikeyL

 

 

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