Publisher: Gamious/Whitehorn Games
Developer: Gamious
Release Date: June 1st 2022
Cost: £15.99/Free with Pro
Coming Home
Lake. The year is 1986, and you are Meredith Weiss, a software developer returning to her hometown of Providence Oak, Oregon, after a seventeen year absence to take over her father’s mail delivery route while her parents are on vacation. The story unfolds over two weeks, and there is a decision to be made at the end; will Meredith return to her high-powered job in the city? Or will she choose to stay in her hometown?
Your First day
You start your first day by meeting Frank at the Post Office who hands you your mail bag, a map and the keys to your trusty postal van. Driving around gives you the chance to bask in the picturesque town of Providence Oaks. It also gives you a chance to meet some of the local residents like the “crazy cat lady” Mildred Jenkins. The dialogue options are varied and you should find it easy to accidentally annoy her.
There are several interactions with the residents of Providence Oak that bring life to Meredith. These include meeting up with Kay, your old best friend who you haven’t spoken to in 17 years or meeting Angie who runs the local video rental store. There are many interactions that blossom into storylines that draw you in to the small town life.
Lake’s atmosphere is delightful throughout, helped by strong voice acting from all of the characters with Meredith, voiced by Karyn O’Bryant, being one of the more memorable video game characters to me in recent memory
Not Saints Row
To get to most places, you will have to drive. Some letters and parcels are in walking distance of each other but most will need a quick trip in the postal van. Here is where you can appreciate the time the developers put into making Providence Oak look as beautiful as it does. There is plenty to see: from the forests, to the lake and even a dam. The setting sun and varying weather just add to the aesthetic. After a few rounds, the town becomes very familiar.
However, all is not perfect. The van doesn’t handle brilliantly; the brakes aren’t great and turning can be slow. There are also no consequences for driving like a maniac. You can’t damage the van or other cars. Creating traffic jams due to bad parking causes no horns or even angry residents. And, thankfully, you can’t run people down.
Driving around is helped by a small playlist of country pop that’s replayed by the local radio DJ and farmer (and comedian) Jack Reynolds. I found the playlist to be one of the most chill game sound tracks I’ve heard for a long time and would often stay in the van just to finish a song. For those interested, the soundtrack can be found here; https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI0IxCQug2H8cMb6krv0e8efEllErMrw3&feature=share
Decisions, Decisions
It’s not just delivering mail that develops Meredith as a character; other decisions bring weight to her. Meredith’s current boss in the city calling her about a “Monster Deal” that he needs help with. Her parents considering a relocation. Or the promise of more serious relationships blooming during your short stay. Whatever you do, there is plenty to think on as you decide your fate; return to the big city or stay in tranquil Providence Oaks.
When I started Lake, I expected a shallow game with not much going on. But I quickly realized that, whilst not a huge game, the modest scope the game has is delivered near perfectly by the developers.
Lake
Summary
Lake is the type of game that you can play with no thought or stress. It looks great and the soundtrack fits perfectly. It’s a thoroughly relaxing experience.
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