Many video games have often been described as ‘movie-like’. This is attributed either due to the quality of the story, action pieces or just the general blockbuster feel of the game. The Uncharted series is a great example of this as it has everything that makes for a fantastic, heart-racing thrill ride. One description for a video game we do not hear so often is ‘documentary-like’, unless some of you consider the classic N64 title Pokemon Snap like a David Attenborough show. Well, that is exactly what brand new developers LKA have aimed for with their debut release, The Town of Light. It was an interesting, albeit extremely short, adventure that had the makings of an excellent cult hit until a shocking scene at the very end. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
The Town of Light is a first-person, psychological/horror exploration title. You play as a woman named Renée who has returned to the nightmarish Volterra Lunatic Asylum where she spent many years of her younger life. Renée has come for answers as she has numerous gaps in her memory from her horrific treatment at Volterra. She often speaks to herself while exploring the ‘hospital’ grounds, questioning as to why she was sent there, why her mother never came to visit and if her best friend/lover, Ada, ever existed. It is rather depressing hearing Renée question the events of her traumatic past, made all the more melancholy when you learn that Volterra was a real place.
The Town of Light plays out like a modern-day first-person horror instalment. The first few minutes spent walking to Volterra brought a likeness to the incredible yet terrifying Outlast: a slow, lethargic walk up to the intimidating lunatic asylum. This is where the comparison halts quickly, however, as The Town of Light is not your standard horror game. There are no jump scares here or demons chasing you down a corridor forcing you to run for your life and hide in a locker. No, The Town of Light’s horror comes from the fact that the Volterra Lunatic Asylum actually existed. Honestly, play the game and then just do a quick Google search. The team at LKA have painstakingly recreated Volterra to incredible detail. Renée’s actual story may be fictional, but it is based on real experiences which took place on a literal hell on earth. LKA spent a long time researching the lives of patients at Volterra, and apart from the few artistic licences of slight exaggeration, Renée’s story does feel like it actually could have happened which, in some ways, is a hell of a lot more frightening than being chased by a demon.
Exploring Volterra is a perfect mixture of distress and frustration. A good horror game will make you cautious as you explore the world you find yourself in. The terrifying yet fantastic Resident Evil 7 is a prime example of this. You may dread what lurks around every corner or behind every door, but you want to keep going, you want to explore every inch. The Town of Light, however, has the opposite effect for two reasons. Firstly, knowing this place was real and that actual people had to live in these conditions is horrifying. Everything you discover from medical documents to archaic treatment methods will send a chill down your spine. I was generally apprehensive about exploring Volterra as I didn’t know what real-life atrocity awaited me next. The second reason why exploring Volterra was the polar opposite of a game like Res 7? It is a giant pain in the backside.
Much like other first-person exploration games in recent times, such as Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture, you will have to move slowly around Volterra as you cannot run. The actual game world isn’t huge, comprising of two floors and some of the ‘hospital’s’ grounds, but there is a hell of a lot of backtracking in The Town of Light. Why a sprint command wasn’t added, I don’t know. Perhaps LKA wanted you to soak in the atmosphere and not rush through? But honestly, you could appreciate the environment and still at least jog between objectives. ‘Exploring’ is a term I would also use loosely as there really isn’t much exploration in The Town of Light. You very much feel like you are on a guided tour. Numerous locked doors will stop you dead in your tracks, with them only opening when you reach a specific point in the game. Again, this is not new in any video game, but when the game world is generally condensed between two floors, it leaves you a rather small world to explore. There are collectables to find though, such as Renée’s diary entries, so it does make exploring the limited open rooms worthwhile.
Your missions in The Town of Light consist of either just walking to a designated area or finding a specific item. Nothing too taxing here. If you do find yourself struggling to figure out where to go next, then hitting the touchpad will bring up a hint about where to go or what to find. I only found myself using it twice over the 12 chapters. Also, as you get closer to your objective, the soundtrack’s volume will increase, acting as a bit of a ‘hot, hotter, HOT!’ guide.
During your playthrough, there will come times where you will have to make some choices. These do not affect the overall ending as there is only one way to finish the game, but your journey to the end will slightly differ depending on your responses to these choices. The cartoon strip cutscenes that usually follow the end of a completed objective add to the horror of Renée’s story. Again, her story is one of fiction that is based on fact. I won’t go into details about what these cartoons entail, but they are extremely sombre experiences. The ending itself is horrifying and is the final example of the nefarious treatment anyone with mental health issues had to suffer through during the early part of the 20th century. Some may find it distasteful and a bit unnecessary, but The Town of Light is a game that forces you to explore the appalling conditions patients had to live through, so it is only fitting that the ending would show you an infamous ‘treatment’ of that era.
Developer: LKA
Publisher: Wired Productions
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC
Release Date: 6th June 2017