![]() ![]() What instead comes of it is fear and a sense of entrapment, which is fairly apt for a story where you end up confronted with an extremely tactless conclusion. Player’s only glimpse into the inner world of the hotel and appreciate snapshots of it through Nicole’s lens we feel her panic and her memories at different intervals, but she never fully gives into her environment, as would happen in these other games. Instead, like with that element of critical thinking, there is a distinct emptiness and uneasiness that the story lays at the feet of its female characters. It may have at least opened the door to think critically about the Humbert Humbert that was her father and how complicated it is to realize the darkness within someone you love. You never get the sense of an old connection returning, of how the main character might be growing and re-engaging with the world around her, which is disappointing. As if you’ve woken up from a nightmare and feel unsettled, scared of every sound and shadow. Never is the player in awe of the world, as I have been with those other titles. ![]() Yet rarely does it stray from that to give the place heart and a lived-in feeling. The carcass of a dying hotel is a compelling setting, and it plays into the horror aspects of what you’d expect of an isolated, abandoned building in the mountains with no means of escape. It starts off strong, though not always with the clearest directions. Clearly inspired by other genre giants like Gone Home, Firewatch and What Remains of Edith Finch, TSoRF does lay some good hints as to the life that came before. ![]() That isn’t to say that it’s all terrible. The real villain of the story are the men who see themselves as the anti-heroes of this tale and the protector’s of Rachel’s memory. If you wanted a story that gaslights and breaks down the soul of a woman, while also turning women into “saint/sinner” caricatures, you’ve come to the right place. The plot forces new trauma onto the main character by spinning that she is to blame for the major death that starts off the plot and that she is responsible for all the pain of these men who aren’t in her life because she left them behind. If the writers of The Suicide of Rachel Foster wanted to shift the blame for all heinous acts on women, then they succeeded. How the story shies away from its truly dark kernel, and puts the blame on the main character, just makes it all worse. Some rooms serve more as filler than as part of the narrative, and it’s frustrating to be in such a large location that seems so underused. While there is plenty of small bits of environmental storytelling to be had, the personal feeling of some of the expansive parts of the place is lost. Yet the story does both of these things a disservice. The main character has so much conviction and life to her as well, as Nicole strongly dislikes both the hotel and her father and wants as little to do with them as possible. It’s empty and expansive hotel at first hints at promise – whether trekking through the basement to get to an abandoned church or running through old staff corridors – the location has character. The Suicide of Rachel Foster feels like a story that twists into itself. (Yes, I have played Mass Effect 3, and this was somehow worse than that) Befuddled by what it all means, sure, but never feeling quiet so alone and upset by a bad turn in the writing. Rarely do I come out of a game feeling so conflicted about the message a game was trying to send. ![]() TW: Mentions of suicide, child abuse, pedophilia, gaslighting, misogyny and child grooming ![]()
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