The Town of Light Reviews
Sticking with The Town of Light's slow, meandering storytelling and linear exploration in the early chapters does pay off eventually, but if the dark and often distressing tale of Renee and the happenings in World War II era insane asylums doesn't interest you, there is very little to see that wouldn't be even more of a turn off.
A haunting, personal horror story that does not need lazy jump scares or cheap shocking moments to be effective.
Review in German | Read full review
If you're looking for a feel-good gaming experience, it's probably best to steer clear of The Town of Light. It's a darkly haunting narrative that touches on a subject matter that doesn't get anywhere near enough attention nowadays, while also avoiding falling into the trap of sensationalism. As long as you can get past some of its legitimate structure issues, not to mention a general lack of a cohesive gameplay thread, it provides a depressing, yet unforgettable quest into a person's descent into madness. While this is definitely not an experience that I plan on putting myself through ever again, it will undoubtedly stick with me for a long time.
I'm not so foolish as to ignore that some of the game's missteps are just that. However, LKA should be commended for being one of only a few developers in recent memory who has endeavored to express this much humanity and depth for the community of the mentally ill and in a way that is so subversive. The Town of Light is an experience with the power to enlighten many to the anguish of those few still lost in the dark.
An uncompromisingly bleak look back at a time when mental illness was completely, horribly misunderstood, The Town of Light is an interesting psychological horror, of sorts. However, technical shortcomings and repetitious, often dull gameplay makes for an experience that's severely lacking.
Explores a hard-hitting, if somewhat familiar story in gorgeous visuals without quite offering enough in terms of gameplay.
The Town of Light is a beautiful title, with great sound and reworked voice-overs that improve on the original release, but it needs harder puzzles, some work on the camera and maybe be a bit darker to give the flashlight some purpose. Besides that, The Town of Light accomplishes what it promises, and is a game people need to try, because it is something different to experience within the video game medium.
The Town of Light's unique setting and a handful of standout scenes aren't enough to save the game from boring puzzles, nonsensical plot, and a general lack of direction.
The Town of Light is an ambitious game to cover such heavy subject matter.
Genuine creative potential, but lacks polish
Depicting the horrors of an asylum with animated pictures was a tender touch to sensitive imagery. Even the 3D animations conveyed moments with care. But the story is confusing and painfully disappointing and the translation errors make matters worse. So I can commend LKA's efforts, but I can't recommend The Town of Light.
A dark and depressing exploration of a dark and depressing aspect in history. If you like the idea of that it will probably deliver.
While the research and attention to detail that went into Town of Light is good, and they're addressing a very important issue, the developers have failed to adapt it into a game format.
The Town of Light is a harsh horror game where the horror is very real – it is something that could certainly happen to us or to a loved one. What Renée had to go through, and how it changed her and made her into the person she is in the present day is something that you certainly will not forget.
The Town of Light sounds like an interesting interactive adventure from the outset however it suffers from a story that is terribly told and a gameplay that feels archaic forcing you to motivate yourself to finish the game.
What LKA has created here transcends being "just another video game"; The Town of Light is an incredibly important insight into a dark part of history that, thankfully, most of us are too young to have lived through.
I cannot thank the developer enough for The Town of Light. Not only are we beginning to acknowledge the injustices our ancestors committed, we are exploring how to prevent it from happening again by telling these important stories instead of burying them.
The Town of Life gets credit for being willing to tackle a tough subject matter head on, and in such an honest way. It never concedes to being entertaining, so the player won't feel uncomfortable. It's a shame, then, that it's so difficult to follow the story and the few puzzles are so abstract. The real killing blows are the atrocious technical hiccups, though, and all of this mars a truly one-of-a-kind experience into a twisted shell of what it could have been.
[The Town of Light is] a game that tries to open people's eyes to the very real problem of mental health
The Town of Light is the type of game that is going to make you think.