In the footsteps of mental traumas – review of the game “The Suicide of Rachel Foster”

As a rule, we are treated with quite a standard approach – we slowly walk through abandoned houses, dilapidated corridors or stretches of space stations bathed in the weak light of alarm installations. Regardless of the nature of the location, we can expect something to try to increase our pressure. Sudden sound effects popping up in scripted moments from behind the corners of a scar. All this is to distract us from monotonous playing of environmental puzzles, reading tons of unnecessary notes and browsing the garbage that the creators have graciously made interactive objects.

So, since the gameplay of walking simulators alone is unlikely to put the dead man on his feet with its complexity, the creators must put increased emphasis on the plot. It is no different with The Suicide of Rachel Foster , in which Italians from ONE-O-ONE Games try to catch a few magpies by the tail, addressing the exceptionally delicate subject of handicap, the relationship of a minor with an adult man and the title suicide that binds them.

Walk through the haunted hotel

However, before such revelations are presented to us in detail, we will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the heroes and tame them in the quite atmospheric nooks and crannies of the hotel closed to guests. Our heroine appears in the tabernacle owned by Nicole’s deceased parents, with a clear intention of appraising the property and selling it as soon as possible. The place cut off from civilization, which links her childhood with the tragic events of the past, however, is surrounded by a mystery, the desire to unravel the seemingly simple plan into a dramatic search for the truth about the true nature of events from years ago.

And there is nothing to hide – it is the hotel in question that plays the central role of the story, both as a location full of climate and squeaky boards, and the background of the entire plot. ONE-O-ONE Games has clearly put a lot of work into fine-tuning the details. A lot of objects are pounded in disorder around the rooms, the play of light and shadows looks good, and the layout of the rooms – although complicated enough that you can even get lost in it at first – gives the impression of being based on some really existing project. The initial impressions of The Suicide of Rachel Foster are therefore absolutely positive – we have an atmospheric set of rooms to explore, a disturbing secret to discover, and a story that indicates that we will have a chance to be scared.

Nice bad beginnings

That it is not as sweet as we would like it to be, we become aware as the scenario develops, which in the areas related to paranormal events turns more and more towards a psychological drama. While this would not be a bad move in itself, and the sullen mood is in excess amounts anyway, the way in which sensitive issues are presented to us seems to be misplaced, or at least not treated with due care. Impressions of barely sliding around the topic that requires deeper analysis are not improved by average dialogues and voice acting, which in no way can evoke more serious emotions from the player, and certainly not at the level of the best productions in the genre, such as SOMY or Firewatch .

Over time, the slight interaction with the environment begins to bother you, from which only a small (and worse, the least important) part of items has been predicted by the creators as possible to look at more closely. At first, the cavernous hotel also begins to make a relatively smaller impression when it turns out that we are surrounded by invisible walls, effectively preventing us from getting into rooms unrelated to the plot.

Nothing new

Despite a good start, The Suicide of Rachel Foster can not offer anything more than what we have seen in the genre at least several times. Although it is difficult to clearly define the production of ONE-O-ONE Games as a weak one, the debatable scenario and technical limitations make it impossible to stand out above average.