If you’ve followed the story of independent media outlet Second Wind even a little, then the prospect of this organization reaching a point of security and confidence enough to even host a games showcase likely comes as an impressive feat, if not necessarily a surprise. After all, we’re talking about a talented assortment of folks known for their thoughtful, even-handed coverage and love of games as an artistic and entertainment medium, called upon to help restore the reputation of once-esteemed games media site The Escapist. Had the corporate owners holding The Escapist’s purse strings not overstepped by firing editor-in-chief Nick Calandra, driving much of the staff to resign in protest, who knows what the future of The Escapist might have been? That the ex-Escapist crew are now in a place, a few years down the line, where they can comfortably offer the stage to other creatives within the industry is a magnificent sight to behold. It doesn't hurt that the resulting showcase, publ...
Developer: Rusty Lake
Publisher: Rusty Lake
Release Date: January 11, 2018
Version Played: PC
Copy purchased for review
When talking of horror media, the concept of fearing the unknown is key. It’s not exactly a novel sentiment, but I nonetheless maintain that it’s vital to understanding why a given work - film, literature, video game, et cetera - works at provoking a terrified response. For many, there’s an innate impulse to draw back and flee when faced with grotesque and incomprehensible imagery; we retreat to safety in a bid to keep calm whilst trying to make sense of our observations.
This feels pertinent since, on top of everything else, Rusty Lake Paradise is remarkably adept in its usage of horror iconography to evoke fear in the audience. It’s unsettling in mood, slow-burning in narrative progression, and quite effectively builds in suspense up to its finale.
For the uninitiated: Paradise represents the latest work in the Rusty Lake series, sharing its name with the developer. Built upon the framework of point-and-click adventure games, the past entries (and indeed, it seems, much of Rusty Lake the dev’s backlog) seemingly bask in occult imagery and vaguely supernatural motifs in order to scare or unsettle the crap out of players.
As an anthology series, though, previous knowledge of the other Rusty Lake titles isn’t necessary. All that’s pertinent here is that there’s a location called Rusty Lake, and it functions much like the titular town in Silent Hill (creepy place, isolated from major cities, reinterpreted/reimagined across various instalments, etc.)
The plot in Paradise commences with the arrival of Jakob Eilander - who, after a long absence from his family’s home on The Lake, is called back in light of his mother’s passing. Soon after arriving, though, it becomes clear something is amiss; the way to his old home is blocked, his relatives are acting somewhat off-kilter, and other phenomena such as water turning to blood begins to crop up.
Aaaaaand then things escalate in directions I wouldn’t dare spoil in full, suffice it to say that fans of surrealism and truly bizarre body horror in their games will be quite satisfied. Paradise also isn’t shy about its thematic reference pool, to be clear, drawing upon the same kinds of rural and wilderness-set horror as works like The Wicker Man and Blair Witch Project. The most obvious point of reference, though, is: A) central to the structure of the game’s “levels”, B) a darkly amusing nod to a particular biblical story, and C) might have been better kept out of the game’s promotion.
Still, it worked at creeping me out, especially with regards to the physical misfortunes faced by Jakob’s relatives and recurring visions of animal mask-wearing cultists. One bit of Kafkaesque mutation particularly stuck out, proving to be the right mix of visually fascinating and instinctually unsettling. And the game marching along to its increasingly dire finale, even as it became clear exactly how things would shake out, was a wise creative decision.
Less endearing were the puzzles, at this point a requisite feature of the point-and-click adventure game. Many of them managed to charm through their truly bizarre resolutions and their contributions to the game’s overall tone (which walks a fine line between straightforwardly horrific and pitch black visual gags).
Some, however, proved to be a bit too rooted in the “moon logic” tradition of games past, requiring players to go through several hoops, collect various items and identify obscure solutions in order to progress. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means - enough of them work well and lead to more compelling story moments - but it does get to be a grind in later sections.
Fortunately, matters are aided by how Paradise looks and sounds top notch. The soundtrack remains consistently unnerving throughout, the vocal performances for the Eilander family are solid, and visually the game’s woodland and lakeside locales benefit from Rusty Lake’s choice of detailed animation style. And that final shot is something else…
Bottom line, good work’s been done here and it shows in every lingering bit of gore and fog. Not everyone’s going to be comfortable with where Rusty Lake Paradise opts to go, but for my money it’s plenty inventive and more than competent in its pursuits. Easily recommended, especially for horror aficionados looking to go off the beaten path, so to speak.
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