Sorry We’re Closed review: Oozing with dreadful charm

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As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for the strange and unusual, Sorry We’re Closed has left quite an impression on me. I’ve seen my fair share of surreal games, but this one, much like a neon-colored demon sneaking into your room, manages to stand out. The game’s unique blend of humor, color, unconventional music, and surrealism is unlike anything I’ve played before, and that’s saying something!

From the first glimpse, à la mode Games’ debut title, Sorry We’re Closed, captured my interest thoroughly. I was initially introduced to it through a demo at PAX East, and its blend of eerie, dreamlike, and sensual undertones left an indelible impression on me ever since. After playing the complete game, I can confirm that it largely lived up to the expectations set by the demo. This horror game stands out as one of the most memorable ones for me due to its innovative use of color, humor, unusual music, and surreal elements, coupled with some unique (at times both favorable and challenging) combat mechanisms.

Everything is mostly normal, kind of

Michelle’s life was relatively ordinary, given the circumstances. She resides in a compact apartment within an eccentric building, works at a corner store, and struggles to move on from her past relationship. However, things become bizarrely extraordinary when she awakens to find a vividly colored demon creeping into her room and confronting her face-to-face. It is later revealed that this neighborhood is linked to a demonic hotel overseen by The Duchess, whose relentless pursuit of affection results in countless individuals being ensnared in endless cycles of torment. Michelle becomes the newest target and is afflicted with a Third Eye, granting her the ability to perceive both the underworld and the surface. To escape The Duchess’s self-destructive fixation, she must find a means to vanquish her adversary before becoming another victim of the demon’s doomed affection.

Fortunately, Michelle isn’t alone in her mission to outsmart The Duchess. Several other individuals in her vicinity are not as they appear, and Michelle’s decisions on how to engage or collaborate with an eccentric group of characters will ultimately shape the story’s outcome. Your chosen path impacts the objectives throughout the game’s four-day narrative, requiring you to choose who to aid and how. Although the plot itself is straightforward, the quirky personalities, vivid visuals, and overall peculiar nature of the environment give it an added touch of intrigue. Despite some characters delivering strange, seemingly out-of-character monologues following narrative decisions, Sorry We’re Closed manages to maintain a surprising level of depth.

Torture, demons, angels, and a cool local record shop

In this game, you’ll encounter stages reminiscent of classic survival horror games from the PS1 era, filled with danger and mystery. You’ll need to dodge monsters, solve puzzles involving items in a particular sequence or activating buttons and switches to control old machinery. Along the way, you’ll uncover the tragic tale of a victim of The Duchess’ cruelty who eventually transforms into the day’s boss battle. Despite the straightforward levels, the unique combat system is what makes Sorry We’re Closed stand out. A distinctive feature is Michelle’s Hellhound pistol, a bright red gun with a mouth and teeth that growls when reloaded. This gun can target a demon’s heart if you have good aim and can spot your target clearly.

In that location, Michelle’s abilities are utilized. By opening her Third Eye, she creates a localized zone that shifts into another dimension, temporarily stunning enemies within and revealing their hearts. If you strike these exposed hearts, they will move, prolonging the stun effect, and granting a flawless combo if you hit repeatedly without missing or taking too long. This mechanic is quite intricate, and the initial encounters in combat are thrilling. It’s as though the Resident Evil series occasionally transforms into an electrifying arcade game during zombie fights. Despite sounding a bit strange, it aligns well with this world’s eccentric visual style.

No run, only gun

Fighting is quite enjoyable, until it becomes a challenge. As you move around in third-person perspective, switching to first-person view is necessary for aiming. There’s often a delay between pressing the aim button, Michelle raising her weapon, and being able to actually aim and fire. You’re also unable to move while aiming, as expected. Mastering the combat involves understanding the timing among all the moving components. It might seem beneficial to stun an enemy first before shooting, but it could be wiser to shoot first, lure the monster, then attack once it approaches within range. In certain situations, stunning may not be necessary or even possible against specific enemy types that can block your Third Eye ability. The combat system is more intricate than it appears, which adds an extra layer of excitement to boss fights as they introduce new ways to manipulate the rules and present fresh scenarios for you to adapt to.

The whole thing falls apart when you’re asked to do crowd control. There are a few instances during the story when you’re forced to deal with huge groups of enemies in close quarters, and they’re miserable to get through. Especially when the groups have enemies that can grab you, knock you down, lock your powers, or reanimate after just a few seconds. One section had me charging generators with the Third Eye, while a nearly endless wave of enemies came at me. Another involves keeping another character alive while solving a puzzle at the same time. The first one especially was so brutal I almost gave up on the game entirely.

In my search for difficulty settings, I conceded that achieving my goal of being a professional speedrunner in Sorry We’re Closed was not feasible. The offered solution was an item that granted infinite healing, enabling me to overpower combat situations that proved too challenging. However, the combination of slow, precise combat and congested action sequences consistently dampened my enjoyment whenever they surfaced. It frequently felt like switching between two games, experiencing joy in one moment only to have another game suddenly intrude, much like the threatening purple cubes in Reboot that could disrupt everything if I made a mistake.

I’m glad I only had to experience about six hours of Thankfully, Sorry We’re Closed before seeing one of its endings. The harrowing sections weren’t extensive parts of the game, but they served as challenging obstacles. However, the overall atmosphere, narrative, and combat (when it wasn’t excessively tough) kept me engaged right up until the end. I’m still intrigued by the other endings, but the memories from that generator setpiece have me hesitant to dive back in just yet, waiting for potential updates or new settings in the future. This game is sure to appeal to horror aficionados, particularly those who enjoy the bizarre and are willing to deal with sudden increases in difficulty.

The game “Sorry We’re Closed” will be accessible on November 14, 2024, for personal computers. We received a code from the publisher for this review.

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2024-11-14 20:28