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THE LONG REACH (PS4)
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Publisher: Merge Games.
Developer: Painted Black Games. Released: March 2018. Genre: 2D Horror Adventure. Other versions: XONE; PC; VITA; SWI. Posted 5th March 2019. By Tom Clare © 2019 |
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What would happen if you took a little bit of Twin Peaks, a dash of Inception, and a liberal helping of slasher flick, and mashed them all together to make a 2D horror adventure in the mould of Lone Survivor? The Long Reach is slightly more routine an experience than this spectacular combination might have you believe. Focusing a little less on survival elements and more on theme and story, it’s a diverting though insubstantial offering that’s neither the best, nor the worst, its genre has to offer.
Set in New Hampshire, The Long Reach takes familiar locations such as a general store, a diner and an office building, and tampers with the player’s perceptions of them, creating an unnerving, relatable un-reality. The assuredness you’re afforded initially from the recognisable surroundings gradually ebbs away, creating a sense of paranoia. Can you trust what you’re seeing? What’s real, and what’s not? After a scientific experiment goes awry, you’re left in control of lab boffin Stewart, who quickly discovers his colleagues have descended into various states of madness, catatonia and (most inconveniently of all) murderous bloodlust.
Set in New Hampshire, The Long Reach takes familiar locations such as a general store, a diner and an office building, and tampers with the player’s perceptions of them, creating an unnerving, relatable un-reality. The assuredness you’re afforded initially from the recognisable surroundings gradually ebbs away, creating a sense of paranoia. Can you trust what you’re seeing? What’s real, and what’s not? After a scientific experiment goes awry, you’re left in control of lab boffin Stewart, who quickly discovers his colleagues have descended into various states of madness, catatonia and (most inconveniently of all) murderous bloodlust.
Pay attention: it all starts to get weird from here on in...
Whilst The Long Reach uses 2D pixel-art a little less effectively than genre stablemates Lone Survivor and Claire, that's not to say it isn’t atmospheric. Oppressive, nerve-grinding music proves a triumph of tension building, and is perhaps the finest aspect of the game. The first playthrough will have you on the edge of your seat.
There’s some decent puzzles to unravel, though nothing overly involved. You’ll seek out keys, components for mechanisms, as well as combining various kinds of items for specific purposes. It’s the usual horror adventure shtick, but The Long Reach does manage to engineer a few memorable moments of its own. Baiting and imprisoning a feral, pipe-wielding scientist is a scary, satisfying endeavour. Later on in the game, when Stewart is held hostage and tied to a chair, the only interaction available to him is to kick a table at various intervals. As his captor poses questions to a severed head (as you do), he looks for ‘a sign’ of Stewart’s worthiness. The player must be decisive however, as should his antagonist not like the signs they’re receiving (or not receiving), it’s curtains for Stewart.
There’s some decent puzzles to unravel, though nothing overly involved. You’ll seek out keys, components for mechanisms, as well as combining various kinds of items for specific purposes. It’s the usual horror adventure shtick, but The Long Reach does manage to engineer a few memorable moments of its own. Baiting and imprisoning a feral, pipe-wielding scientist is a scary, satisfying endeavour. Later on in the game, when Stewart is held hostage and tied to a chair, the only interaction available to him is to kick a table at various intervals. As his captor poses questions to a severed head (as you do), he looks for ‘a sign’ of Stewart’s worthiness. The player must be decisive however, as should his antagonist not like the signs they’re receiving (or not receiving), it’s curtains for Stewart.
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No combat options inevitably adds to the vulnerability-factor. The player is encouraged to seek creative means of making up for this, including fleeing, hiding or devising distractions as a means off circumventing antagonists. The number of encounters with foes is sadly negligible, so these instances are few and far between. Nevertheless, the threat is there, and walking through dark basements with nothing but torchlight as a guide makes for a tense experience.
The locations are unremarkable and a little samey at times, though the discombobulating visual design does knock the player off-kilter at times. Normally, taking an elevator results in a straight transition to the next floor, but one occasion, you’re temporarily removed from the setting and plonked into a 3D elevator, which is a neat touch. The narrative is unpredictable, though the characters never really leave their mark. A string of vague interactions and continuity disruptions can lead to scares, but as often as not, they end up muddying your understanding of what’s going on. More problematically, it can leave you at a loss as to what you’re expected to do next.
The locations are unremarkable and a little samey at times, though the discombobulating visual design does knock the player off-kilter at times. Normally, taking an elevator results in a straight transition to the next floor, but one occasion, you’re temporarily removed from the setting and plonked into a 3D elevator, which is a neat touch. The narrative is unpredictable, though the characters never really leave their mark. A string of vague interactions and continuity disruptions can lead to scares, but as often as not, they end up muddying your understanding of what’s going on. More problematically, it can leave you at a loss as to what you’re expected to do next.
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As has become a facet of the sub-genre, The Long Reach seeks to chart a descent into delirium and madness through the distortion of its images. Here, it finds a moderate degree of success. The environs are heavy with tension, thanks to some oppressive, dingy locations that make smart use of light and shadow. It’s not as articulate or as elaborate as Lone Survivor in this regard however, where the degree of degradation was linked to how over-wrought, tired or hungry the protagonist became. TLR unfortunately doesn’t feature any such variables, meaning it feels a bit more straightforward.
The Long Reach offers a range of branching dialogue options, though it’s disappointing to note that, even when following two polarising sets of options (essentially, reason versus madness), it doesn’t affect the outcome much at all. A considerable number of choices don’t result in any difference whatsoever, even in the responses that directly follow your choice. This is a shame, and severely limits the game’s replay value.
The Long Reach offers a range of branching dialogue options, though it’s disappointing to note that, even when following two polarising sets of options (essentially, reason versus madness), it doesn’t affect the outcome much at all. A considerable number of choices don’t result in any difference whatsoever, even in the responses that directly follow your choice. This is a shame, and severely limits the game’s replay value.
Whilst there are many dialogue branches to explore, a lot of them lead to similar - and sometimes identical - responses
There’s at least a little more playtime start-to-finish than you’ll find in Home, but The Long Reach is nevertheless a short game. There are two endings, and which one you get is reliant only on a mutually dependant either/or final decision. If you want the other ending, revisit your last save and it’s yours in a matter of minutes. In all likelihood, you’ll have seen everything in a couple of days, maximum.
The Long Reach is a sturdy, atmospheric horror adventure that ultimately falls short of the genre’s best. Greater development of its characters and gameplay elements would doubltess have helped; there’s one or two really clever touches, but the game never quite capitalises on them. It’s a brief adventure that’s unlikely to live long in the memory, though horror fans should at least find a weekend’s worth of entertainment here.
The Long Reach is a sturdy, atmospheric horror adventure that ultimately falls short of the genre’s best. Greater development of its characters and gameplay elements would doubltess have helped; there’s one or two really clever touches, but the game never quite capitalises on them. It’s a brief adventure that’s unlikely to live long in the memory, though horror fans should at least find a weekend’s worth of entertainment here.
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VERDICT
"...a sturdy, atmospheric horror adventure that ultimately falls short of the genre’s best. It’s unlikely to live long in the memory, though horror fans should find a weekend’s worth of entertainment here." OVERALL: 5/10 |
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