The Town of Light Reviews
Even though The Town of Light fails at any sense of creating a compelling gameplay experience, it does do a fantastic job of illustrating the difficulties individuals face with metal health problems, even if it does focus on the past and how such cases were handle.
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.
Genuine creative potential, but lacks polish
You'll remember the story long after the game has finished, but you'll likely forget how you got there.
The Town of Light is a powerful experience that highlights a fascinating, if chilling, chapter in human history. The heavy atmosphere is achieved through the very real setting of Volterra, and Renée's unfortunate tale of life inside its walls that represents the woes of many real people. The story meanders a little too far into obscurity and can become confusing, and some long load times scupper things further. While you won't necessarily have fun in the traditional sense, it's worth playing if you're at all interested, as it contains some striking sequences that will stay with you long after you finish.
This exploration of Volterra and its practices by first-time Italian developer LKA is a gruelling, uneven but ultimately worthwhile trek through the peeling corridors of an all too real place. The story follows Renee, a young woman who was committed at Volterra shortly before World War II, as she returns to the hospital's abandoned husk decades later. While Renee herself is a fictional creation, her experiences are a patchwork of real-life patients pieced together from director Luca Dalco's extensive research. You are tacitly cast as a voice inside Renee's head, whom she talks to and questions as you explore the hospital, trying to piece together and make sense of her experience.
A different kind of horror that could have been much better without its technical flaws and a bit more freedom.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The town of light does some really unique and innovative things for the horror genre but its adventure game aspects are simultaneously mundane and confusing. Still, its real-life horrors stick with you longer than the more fantastical and gruesome images that are commonly seen in other games.
The Town of Light explores the most terrifying horror that exists, the kind man perpetuates on others on the basis of false beliefs and prejudices.
However, even if you're one to stomach these triggers in some way, you must also be open to the power of storytelling over gameplay. If you're looking for a jump-out action packed horror game, The Town of Light is not for you. But I urge you to open your mind and consider it a separate learning experience.
Uneven, bleak and unflinching. You won't enjoy it, but it's one of a kind.
Although it is not for everyone, The Town of Light is unique. It is a serious game that is deliberate in its storytelling and design choices, and it is purposely looking to provoke an emotional response in the player, as it tells Renée’s story of being confined to an asylum. It has some technical issues and text size issues that can pull you out of the story, but the ending will leave a strong impression on anyone with an ounce of empathy.
The Town of Light, by LKA.it and Wired Productions is a first person story driven game that tells the chilling tale of Renée as she returns to her former home, the Volterra Psychiatric Asylum located in Tuscany, Italy, where she had spent much of her youth.
The Town Of Light is an atmospheric horror game set in the 1930s-40’s and explores the horrors of mental illness and pre-professional health care. The game has no zombies or action, but instead follows along something like Dear Esther or one of the “walking” simulators. The game takes place in Italy and features native voice acting, as well as english to deliver the heavy narrative which follows Renee’ as she struggles to find what is real what isn’t. Moving through several locations and exploring the now abandoned mental institution showcases different aspects of how someone can remember something in opposition to actual events.
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 is an ambitious game to cover such heavy subject matter.
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.
If you're intrigued by The Town of Light's exploration of mental health and abuse and can stand a slower-paced, less-than-challenging game, this one might just cure what ails you.
The Town of Light isn't a game you play for fun. There's nothing enjoyable about the true face of mental illness nor the fear and isolation it engenders. Instead of aiming to reward players with a sense of enjoyment, LKA.it strives to help them empathise with the character of Renée and the unspeakable horrors she's forced to endure. There's a sobering, meaningful story to be witnessed and while its delivery is imperfect, The Town of Light still makes for one of the most thought-provoking games of this year.