Lake | Xbox Review
Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. Go to a place far away from your everyday life and just…reevaluate. That’s precisely the premise in Lake from Gamious. Meredith Weiss needs to get away, and luckily she’s bringing us with her.
The idea of taking up postal work in a video game struck me from the original announcement of Lake simply because it’s something different. Slice of life stories in games are incredibly rare as it is, let alone one with a third-person perspective that allows you to roam a small town. There’s no hint of a dark twist, crime organization, or supernatural occurrence at all. This is a story about a woman delivering mail and the people she meets along the route. To say it was refreshing would be an understatement.
Sit Back and Relax
Lake is, as described, a game about delivering mail. Aside from conversing with residents, this is all you’ll be doing in the town of Providence Oaks. For me, this was a remarkable experience. It was strangely meditative and made me just sort of feel good. The idyllic landscape, coupled with the local radio station playing relaxing music, lulled me into a trance-like state. The game takes place in 1986, so there’s nary a distracting cell phone or pesky tablet in sight to distract from the peaceful atmosphere.
The premise of the story is that our protagonist’s father is going away on vacation for two weeks, and Meredith Weiss uses her own vacation time to fill in. This is the same small town she moved away from years ago to get to the big city, and the big tech job that came with it.
The People Make the Place
You slowly get to know the residents of the town as Meredith reconnects with her childhood, and you can make decisions about how to spend your evenings. You may choose to get closer to the cute video store owner, or it might benefit your life to better catch up with your high school bestie. The nice part is that these events don’t conflict, so you can choose to do as many of them as you want. Connect with the characters you like, and disregard the ones you don’t.
I can’t really think of too many games that are just about everyday life, and that’s what really captures me about Lake. It’s just a pleasant experience from beginning to end. It may seem there isn’t much to a game about delivering mail and talking to people, but I was enamored with it. I loved getting to know these townsfolk, and was disappointed to leave them behind when the credits rolled. It was so, so nice to play a game that was just about people.
A Brief Respite for the Soul
At 6-8 hours, Lake doesn’t overstay its welcome. It is exactly the right length to learn about this town and the people within it. There are a few different endings if you’re looking for replay value, but I was more than satisfied with the resolution I found for Meredith Weiss. If you need to just relax and be reminded a little bit of how interesting human beings can be, Lake is an exceedingly pleasant way to spend a weekend.
This review is based on a purchased copy of Lake for Xbox. It is also available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Lake
$19.99
Pros
- Calming, relaxing Gameplay
- Interesting Residents to Get to Know
- Nothing Outlandish in the Story at All
Cons
- Might Be Too Simple and Straightforward for Some
- The Occasional Technical Hiccup
