So, if the game looks good and it sounds good, it should follow that it plays good. Not unreasonable to ask "Can you hear me now?" with this brick. As it is, the actors veer a little too wildly at times. ![]() As for voice acting, it's generally well done, though the writing for the dialogue could be a little better and the direction could have emphasized a slightly more nuanced tone. The musical score is low key and appropriately moody. The sound designers did an excellent job of creating the right sort of creepy atmosphere, whether it's the creaks and groans of a large building battered by a winter storm, or the eerie sounds Nicole experiences as she probes the nooks and crannies of the building. Nicole's mother Claire, however, doesn't get as much visual exposure.Īudio plays a big role in Rachel Foster, as we mostly only hear Nicole's voice and that of Irving Crawford, an unseen FEMA agent who keeps in touch with Nicole through a modified cell phone as she explores the resort. 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. These titles, such as Myst, are often (and sometimes derisively) referred to as "walking simulators." The rise of easily available 3D engines like Unity or Unreal, as well the cheap art assets for those engines, has led to an evolution of adventure games.
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