GSY Review PS4

Following Dear Esther and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, the sequel to Frictional Games original horror experience, The Chinese Room's third game, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, is finally upon us – this time on PlayStation 4. For those familiar with its previous work, the pace and design of the game will come as no surprise but, for others, we invite you to take a look inside this curious, contemplative game.
Note: As usual, the review is spoiler-free guaranteed as we never mention anything about the main plot.
Update: Two FPS analysis videos added to understand why the game doesn't always feel smooth.

Rapture the Flag

The first few moments of the game are, quite frankly, unsettling and confusing. Dropped into a small English town with no direction, the player will slowly begin to piece together the tragic fate of the town. Spectral events punctuate the silence regularly pushing players to wander an open world in search of answers. Over time, these light echoes gradually manage to form enough of a narrative foundation for players to follow. Brief dialog sequences give us insight into the world before the end of the world as families, couples, and apparitions appear. This is the core design of the game. Make no mistake, this is a purely narrative driven experience just like Dear Esther before it.

Each area of the village offers the chance to experience the chance to literally follow the ghosts of one of its inhabitants across town in order to discover what ultimately became of them. You spend most of your time playing simply following these balls of energy around the world until you've seen all that there is. At this point night falls on this area and you're guided to the next key event. The game world is fully open ended enabling the player to tackle these events as they please but, even out of order, The Chinese Room manages to keep the story moving forward. Over time the links between each character strengthens and the dark truth of their past is slowly revealed.

Anti-Gone

At this point in the review, it should be noted that despite a fierce four hour play session, we have yet to actually reach the end. As you can imagine, we enjoy exploring every nook and cranny of the world in search of light echoes and radio snippets. While the world may seem a bit limited at first glance, that is not the case at all – you can become both literally and figuratively lost in this world. Of course, despite the freedom of movement, progression is ultimately quite linear though there is still plenty to find if you enjoy exploration. This is not a fast paced experience and we highly recommended taking your time soaking up the world around you. Some may find this pace to be a bit frustrating but, for us, it only served to invite us deeper.

Another point of contention for this sort of game falls to the lack of interaction. While more open ended, interactivity remains similar to that of Dear Esther. There just isn't a lot for the player to do outside of walking and experiencing the narrative. Sure, there are radios to tune, doors to open, and the occasional gyro puzzle, but the core gameplay is focused entirely on observation and consumption. Yet, thanks to its beautiful CryEngine 3 powered world and haunting soundtrack, the experience remains captivating nonetheless. Captivating is precisely the world we would use to describe Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, in fact. We were mesmerized by the world to the point where it was difficult to put down even at 4am when sleep became a necessity.

Verdict


If Everybody's Gone to the Rapture does not address the needs of all players, it at least speaks to an undoubtedly large audience eager to dive into another narrative driven experience. Immersion in this world requires one to accept its slow progression where contemplation reigns supreme and gameplay is limited to its most simple expression. Those who choose to embrace this adventure will find an experience well worth the time. With a surprisingly decent length for such a game, we estimate around 5-6 hours provided you fully explore the world, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture may be a bit dull for some players. For others, though, they will be proud to declare: I too have gone to the rapture.
  • On the plus side
  • Visually excellent
  • Atmospheric
  • Great soundtrack
  • A nice stroll in the English countryside
  • A great experience
  • Good length for the genre
  • On the down side
  • Limited Gameplay
  • A slow pace that may disappoint some
  • Some technical problems
digi_matrix
digi_matrix
Commented on 2015-08-10 14:22:34
Can't wait.
In reply to
KORNdog
KORNdog
Commented on 2015-08-10 14:32:08
i might play this after i'm done with the witcher. seems like a nice change of pace. and after watching "gameplay#2" i'm adequately intrigued. looks super nice too.
In reply to
Executioner_UK
Executioner_UK
Commented on 2015-08-10 14:35:11
Now this, this is why i have a PS4 and an X1! I really like the look of this and i know the missus will love it.. shes into all that supernatural stuff! Whens it out and how much is it likely to be??
In reply to
Simplex
Simplex
Commented on 2015-08-10 15:39:48
"Some technical problems"

What problems exactly did you encounter? I skimmed the review but did not see any specific mention of problems.
In reply to
Driftwood - Dictateur en chef
Driftwood
Commented on 2015-08-10 15:50:20 In reply to Simplex
Framerate issues (not sure if they're frame pacing related) and a little bit of pop-in at times.
In reply to
Zat
Zat
Commented on 2015-08-10 16:59:16
It's beautiful! I like that Commodore 64. :-D
In reply to
Driftwood - Dictateur en chef
Driftwood
Commented on 2015-08-10 17:00:49
I'm preparing GSY Tech videos. Turns out the game is always above 30 but it's not steady, it goes from 31 to 40 or so, hence the fluidity problems.
In reply to
KORNdog
KORNdog
Commented on 2015-08-10 18:00:52 In reply to Driftwood
Posted by Driftwood
I'm preparing GSY Tech videos. Turns out the game is always above 30 but it's not steady, it goes from 31 to 40 or so, hence the fluidity problems.
i think thats what was wrong with vanishing of ethan carter too. it'll no doubt get a patch to lock it to 30.
In reply to
JohnnyTempl
JohnnyTempl
Commented on 2015-08-10 19:32:38
Why do you not make a full walkthrough about this videogame or another one?
In reply to
Driftwood - Dictateur en chef
Driftwood
Commented on 2015-08-10 20:04:42 In reply to JohnnyTempl
Because we don't do walkthroughs and never will.
In reply to
Executioner_UK
Executioner_UK
Commented on 2015-08-10 20:44:42
Im grabbing this tomorrow but after watching all the vids i really hope a 30fps lock is patched in.. any news on a price yet?
In reply to
JohnnyTempl
JohnnyTempl
Commented on 2015-08-10 20:49:35 In reply to Driftwood
Earlier you did not podcasts but now you do.
In reply to
Driftwood - Dictateur en chef
Driftwood
Commented on 2015-08-10 21:52:27 In reply to JohnnyTempl
Well considering walkthroughs actually spoil games and are not especially nice to devs and studios (because then people don't need to buy their games), not gonna happen. :)

Not to mention what it would cost us in terms of servers to host all these videos in HQ. We don't even know if we'll be around for much longer without the extra expenses so...
In reply to
Executioner_UK
Executioner_UK
Commented on 2015-08-11 01:23:07
What time does PSN store update on a Tuesday? I would like to try and start the download off before i head out..
In reply to
Nathaniel_Wu
Nathaniel_Wu
Commented on 2015-08-12 14:01:12
Having played it for 2 or 3 hours, I find the biggest problem is that I move so f**king slowly…Everything is so good except this…
In reply to
Executioner_UK
Executioner_UK
Commented on 2015-08-12 15:21:09 In reply to Nathaniel_Wu
Posted by Nathaniel_Wu
Having played it for 2 or 3 hours, I find the biggest problem is that I move so f**king slowly…Everything is so good except this…
Are you aware theres a hidden "run" option thats not listed in the control menu?

Hold down R2 and you build up a faster pace.. not so much a sprint more of a jog but its def faster than walking :)
In reply to
About the game
Platform
PC PS4
Published by
Sony Computer En...
Developed by
The Chinese Room
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