Welcome to the very first Indie Spotlight. We talk a lot about big AAA games here on the site but there are a lot more indie games that come out each and every week that we'd love to share our thoughts on. Now considering our small team it would be impossible to cover each new indie game that hits store pages, but, starting in September, we will be doing frequent Indie Spotlights to highlight any new indie game that catches our eye. The games we cover can be either recently released or, as is the case for Paradise Lost, simply announced. We explain this more in our September Newsletter so read that if you want more information. For now, let's talk about Paradise Lost.
The term walking simulator often has a negative connotation, suggesting that a game is simple or boring. However, games of that sub-genre tell some of the most potent and self-contained stories in gaming. Just look at Gone Home and What Remains of Edith Finch. And due to the benefit of restricting their story to a relatively linear path, developers can add a stunning amount of detail into each area, making the game visually striking or downright gorgeous. I say this first because Paradise Lost is one such walking sim, but it has more up its sleeve than just walking.
Paradise Lost from PolyAmorous Games is set in an alternate history where World War II lasted 20 years before it ended with the Nazis dropping nuclear bombs on most of Europe. Due to this, Europe is forced off the grid with communication being cut off to the rest of the world. You play as a 12-year-old boy who is wandering the radiated and isolated Poland when he comes across an abandoned Nazi bunker. The story centers around the exploration of the bunker and the mystery of what happened to its inhabitants. The game has a branching narrative, meaning each decision made inside will have an impact on the character and environment.
I've actually had my eye on Paradise Lost for a few months but I finally decided to write about it now because a new cinematic trailer was just released for Gamescom 2020. The blend of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and Fallout is what caught my attention initially. Post-apocalyptic games have always captured my interests, and seeing a more focused story in that genre as opposed to the more open-ended ones in Fallout 4 and Metro: Exodus is a welcome change. Paradise Lost seems to deal with heavy themes of grief but it's done so through the eyes of a little boy exploring a former Nazi bunker full of retrofuturistic tech and Slavic pagan imagery. I'm going to be honest, I have yet to see a detail about the game that's a negative for me. I also caught part of a developer live stream on Steam showcasing the game in its current state and while I'm not sure if the game is horror, the atmosphere was eerie and intense. Although there is no exact release date yet, Paradise Lost is coming to PC later this year. (and hopefully consoles at a later date) You can add it to your Steam wishlist now.
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