The Park Reviews
The Park is an absolutely terrifying game, but what's continued to haunt me about it long after I've put the controller down isn't Chad the Chipmunk, or the Bogeyman, or the Witch – it's how distressing and real the game and its themes are once you peel back those monster story trappings.
The Park tells a dark and very disturbing story, the park itself is a joy to explore, and the voice acting is top notch. I've played a few horror games already in 2016 but The Park is so far my favorite.
A fantastically crafted psychological horror that places huge emphasis on story and narrative to drive the game.
The Park is a great piece of psychological horror, one that doesn't dip into jump scares or excessive grit. Instead it introduces a playable protagonist you can't rely on, in a discomforting situation that smartly paces itself and holds back from excess. For anyone who wants to feel perturbed and have a hard time sleeping immediately afterwards, The Park is definitely for you.
The Park may be very short, but it certainly leaves an impact. Taking a trip to Atlantic Island Park will reward horror fans with an unsettling tale of emotional trauma adorned with a number of well-orchestrated frights. As the game itself so ominously suggests, you should turn off the lights, plug in some headphones, and enjoy the ride.
It's a short experience but if I had to score it out of ten I'd give it a solid 8 purely for the tension I felt throughout. It's strange that something so inspired by and owing so much to The Secret World actually suffers slightly from being linked to it instead of standing alone, in the dark.
There isn't much replayability, given the type of game it is. But promise me that AFTER you've played it once, start a new game, and remember what Lorraine said: "In my heart and mind, I always return to Atlantic Island Park".
While it may be short and lack replayability, Funcom have delivered a well-crafted and finely tuned psychological experience with The Park. The exceptional audio design helps to build a chilling and tense ambiance that will delight fans of The Secret World, while even newcomers can enjoy the chilling tale of one mother's search for her son. A true psychological thriller that you'll want to play with the headphones on and the lights off.
The Park is a single player experience good for a short game with lots of tension. There is a minimal amount of actual horror or action, with the focus instead being on a psychological journey for the protagonist, while surrounding the player in a tense situation and environment.
A chilling story about simple horrors, strong art design, and voice acting help tie together this horror short into a package worth checking out for horror fans.
The Park is deep, complex and disturbing. With great themes and passive mechanics, The Parks invites you to create a seriesof images in your mind that will put you in the flesh of the main character, Lorraine, and question her continuosly. Its links to The Secret World make it a bit confusing for those who haven't played it, though.
[A]s the player spirals towards the haunted house, and continues spiraling downwards ever afterwards, the sheer weight of The Park's curdled hope and joy denies the optimistic ending of its double from down under: in the end, grief and loss cannot be grappled with. Sometimes it cannot be withstood. The monsters win, the humans lose, and the uneasy fact is that both those creatures are the same person.
All in all this game was fun but it could definitely use more content and substance
The Park doesn't really bring anything new to the horror table, but honestly, that's okay. Its 90 minutes are filled with an impressive atmosphere, interesting themes, and spooky places to poke around. While some of the attractions are a bit long in the tooth, The Park provides enough tension and scares to warrant a playthrough from any horror fan.
The game takes a while to get its claws into you, but if you're patient and willing to overlook some hokeyness, it's an unsettling ride
The Park is filled with very creepy moments but relies too much on a story which suffers from disjointed pacing.
The Park succeeds in being an unsettling jaunt into madness, but could have been much better if its developers had done more with their premise. As it stands, though, this is a title worth playing, so long as you're okay with a short runtime and little replay value.
Despite how [The Park's] conclusion stands out as both horrifying and emotionally resonant, the plot suffers in a lead-up that can feel a bit aimless.
The Park is an interesting attempt to offer a spin-off experience for those who love The Secret World and to deliver some Halloween appropriate content for gamers who are interested in psychological horror.
The story at the heart of The Park makes it a worthwhile trip if you've got £9.99 to burn