Game Review: EDENGATE: The Edge of Life (Xbox Series X)
Publisher/developer Hook utilises the worldwide pandemic that has caused so much chaos over the past few years as inspiration for their new game, EDENGATE: The Edge of Life. Telling a sci-fi infused story about uncertainty, isolation, and hope when there seems like there is none.
A third person walking simulator, EDENGATE: The Edge of Life puts players in the role of Mia. A brilliant and successful scientist who was working on something world-changing but now wakes up alone in a hospital and suffering from amnesia.
She doesn’t know who she is, she doesn’t know why she is in hospital, and she doesn’t know where everyone else has gone. The hospital is in disarray and the streets portray scenes of chaos, but most importantly, there’s not a single soul in sight.
Also, there are mysterious tentacles that can be dissolved with light.
It’s a weird game and its story is designed to be open to interpretation. As Mia, players need to explore linear paths, studying interactive items and solving minor puzzles to progress. All so the bigger picture of what has happened to the world can be seen. A picture that never fully comes into view as the latter portion of story becomes confusing and it ends abruptly.
It’s frustrating to see the potential of EDENGATE: The Edge of Life wasted. The nice visuals, isolated locations and ambient soundtrack really work to give this a creepy vibe. Yet, the more it drags on, the more it starts to feel unnecessarily convoluted. The more details that are given about Mia, the less interesting or likeable she becomes.
It’s not a long game either. Most players will have it wrapped up within two hours. So the fact that it feels longer is not good.
Being a walking simulator, the lack of action is expected but the lack of challenge when it comes to puzzle solving is disappointing. Struggling to find the code for a door? It’s literally written on the wall. Wondering where to push a bin so you can climb on it to get to the next area? Here’s a handy visual marker to show you exactly where to push it. It’s handholding in the most egregious of ways.
Walking simulators live and die on one thing though and that’s their story. EDENGATE: The Edge of Life’s one just doesn’t do enough to satisfy. There’s open for interpretation and then there’s a lack of a decent explanation and conclusion. Unfortunately, EDENGATE: The Edge of Life sits in the latter camp.
EDENGATE: The Edge of Life (Xbox Series X)
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The Final Score - 4.5/10
4.5/10