Tacoma Reviews
Tacoma, the second game from Gone Home studio Fullbright, presents an intriguing narrative that is bogged down by some glaring technical issues
Tacoma successfully overcomes the challenge of featuring eight characters and making them all interesting in a relatively short game. Using the out-of-sequence AR recordings to learn about the exciting events on Tacoma is a unique way to see every side of a conversation, and it's one I hope to see catch on. I would have appreciated more time and events that'd have given me a reason to explore more of the beautiful station, but the time I did have in this fascinating hypothetical future was great.
A short, sweet, slightly dissatisfying translation of Gone Home's cosy environmental storytelling into the realm of speculative fiction.
A smart and thoughtful science fiction mystery featuring a cast of believable, nuanced characters.
While some of its threads don't always come together as neatly as they should, Fullbright's sophomore effort is a quiet and haunting examination of the ways corporations dehumanize us all.
Tacoma tells a gripping story about mortality and relationships that makes it a worthwhile experience
Tacoma tells a story that is made compelling by a well-written and -acted cast of characters, but it's just short of being truly satisfying.
I continue to think of Tacoma as a story first, but it's more than that, clearly: It's an interactive experience, and that plays for and against it. The story is built out of the playback mechanic, which gives birth to the subtler suggestions of what's really going on with this station. But the playback system means there's a lot of talking to listen to, and a lot of wireframes to stare at. For a game about an abandoned space station, Tacoma gave me plenty of company. But the moments where I had to reckon with being alone in space were the ones that stuck with me.
Tacoma ultimately succeeds as a piece of emotional storytelling. Every moment spent with the crew is spellbinding, as their strengths and struggles play out in painful detail. The experience is sometimes frustrating, but Tacoma leaves a lasting impression.
Tacoma doesn't match the excellence of Gone Home in the story department, but nonetheless manages to provide a quick yet engaging adventure.
As with Fullbright's previous game, Gone Home, Tacoma won't be for everyone, but it's a masterclass in environmental and gradual storytelling. It weaves an intriguing story against the backdrop of a believable near-future culture.
If you're a big believer in great storytelling in video games, Fullbright has once again nailed it, proving it can be done, and it can be done to the highest standard.
Tacoma is a quiet, lovely, yet slightly melancholy exploration of humanity struggling in a corporate vacuum, and one that proves Fullbright still has an eye for detail.
Tacoma‘s three-hour span was a delightful experience, and I can see myself booting it up once or twice more to comb through the space station. And while this game cements Fullbright as a leading voice in the storytelling, first-person-experience genre, it showcases that both the genre itself and the sophomore developer still has some growing to do before we see masterpieces. For all those who can settle for less-than-perfect, Tacoma is a sci-fi tale worth playing.
An excellent narrative adventure game that loses the surprise factor of Gone Home but still manages to be interesting and entertaining.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Although Tacoma has a less emotive story than Gone Home The Fullbright Company has created a very interesting game. Their approach to humans relations is one of the best in the medium
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Tacoma lays the foundation for a truly great story, but a short length and some unexplored ideas leave it feeling lacking.
Fullbright brings a fascinating hypotetical future, featuring eight characters and making them all interesting in a short time.
Review in Italian | Read full review
"Tacoma's" core appeal comes from watching the characters behave differently as they move between areas and interact with each other.
Tacoma has some great characterisation and is a very different breed of science fiction, but my enjoyment was sapped by one key mistake in how the story was told. It also has issues with loading and can be somewhat bland to look at, but looking around you, the environmental storytelling is top-notch. By the end, I'd become invested in these characters, but not necessarily their plight.