The last (for now) entry in The Room series of games, and one I hope future games will continue to build on. The series has gotten larger with each entry, from the small but intricate puzzle boxes of the first to exploring an entire mansion in 3, alongside a much more developed narrative. Old Sins is a bit of a step back in that regard, replacing the cutscenes and multiple endings of the third and replacing them with standard diary entries, but replacing that we get a more intricately designed level space, where puzzles in one room can only be solved by an object from another. It makes the game feel much more complete, makes the doll house that you are exploring seem less like a series of adventure game levels and more a space of its own. I've always felt a bit of longing for a return to the simplicity of the first game, where all you were doing was exploring an complex object, all of its nooks and crannies, and this fourth game comes the closest to recapturing that magic.
The Room 4: Old Sins was the culmination of all previous games, simultaneously going back to its roots with a singular object being the main focus while still including an entire mansion with various rooms to step into just like the last instalment. The big difference was the new protagonist and storyline, but like the rest of the series the story had to be pieced together because it was all rather vague. The Null was definitely an interesting concept and I’ve always appreciated the Lovecraftian themes.
It was a good run—I don’t consider any of the four games to be bad. The physics were always satisfying, the puzzles always varied.
It was a good run—I don’t consider any of the four games to be bad. The physics were always satisfying, the puzzles always varied.
Since I've gone through the entire The Room saga, I can say that this is the best of all.
The saga has a great variety of puzzles and scenes, but in terms of lore, setting and puzzles, this is the most complete and enjoyable
There is one puzzle in particular that I really liked the dynamics of (I'm not going to say anything because of possible spoilers) but if you like puzzles with a story behind them, this is your saga and this is your game
The saga has a great variety of puzzles and scenes, but in terms of lore, setting and puzzles, this is the most complete and enjoyable
There is one puzzle in particular that I really liked the dynamics of (I'm not going to say anything because of possible spoilers) but if you like puzzles with a story behind them, this is your saga and this is your game
The Room 4: Old Sins feels like a fresh start, utilizing what the team learned from the first three games and iterating upon it to create something that rivals the third game for the best in the series thus far.
So many of the issues with the previous games have been ironed out, namely the puzzle difficulty. There was a lot more challenge to each solution than any of the previous games offered, without resorting to moon logic to complete its puzzles.
The game is also much more interwoven in its design, thanks to using a (technically) much tighter space instead of expanding endlessly beyond a single room. It's a welcome return to form, since it offered a lot of cohesion through both flow and puzzle design affecting different parts of the central dollhouse.
And lastly, story has seen a welcome uplift. Where The Room 1 and 2 both feel like they were still trying to find their footing, and 3 offered some semblance of story, The Room 4 offers a story that's much more engaging even if the team is still perfecting their craft.
The only complaint I can give is the removal once again of branching ending paths. While a bit tedious in gameplay, having those various endings based on your dedication to the game in The Room 3 was welcome. I know this story wouldn't have made sense for a multi-ending structure, but it would've been good to see nonetheless.
Either way, I'm excited to see how the team further iterates in The Room 5, since it's creeping closer and closer to masterpiece status.
So many of the issues with the previous games have been ironed out, namely the puzzle difficulty. There was a lot more challenge to each solution than any of the previous games offered, without resorting to moon logic to complete its puzzles.
The game is also much more interwoven in its design, thanks to using a (technically) much tighter space instead of expanding endlessly beyond a single room. It's a welcome return to form, since it offered a lot of cohesion through both flow and puzzle design affecting different parts of the central dollhouse.
And lastly, story has seen a welcome uplift. Where The Room 1 and 2 both feel like they were still trying to find their footing, and 3 offered some semblance of story, The Room 4 offers a story that's much more engaging even if the team is still perfecting their craft.
The only complaint I can give is the removal once again of branching ending paths. While a bit tedious in gameplay, having those various endings based on your dedication to the game in The Room 3 was welcome. I know this story wouldn't have made sense for a multi-ending structure, but it would've been good to see nonetheless.
Either way, I'm excited to see how the team further iterates in The Room 5, since it's creeping closer and closer to masterpiece status.
I've already written a review on The Room, so I don't think there's too much to add beyond what I wrote there. Do you like visually interesting puzzle games? Did you play The Room 1, 2, & 3? If you answered yes to those questions, go ahead and pull the trigger on this game. It's exactly like those games, but with more puzzles, a bigger world, slightly better visuals, and a longer play time.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Final Verdict: 8/10
Zerei, lembro que era mais completo e avanlçado que os outros, tinha como volta em puzzles não resolvidos para fazer de novo (não sei se é brisa minha isso) ainda quero zerar a saga denovo no PC.... Sempre pesquiva sobre esses jogos para saber explicações e teorias ou detonados mas nunca achava nada no Youtube kkkkk
By far my favorite of the series!! The use of the dollhouse as a stand-in for the real thing was neat and improved on the choppiness of room transitions in the previous game, and the husband-wife dynamic gave more insight to the Null and its impact!! Can't wait to see what Fireproof Games has in store :)
Creo que vuelve al nivel que tenía el 2 (no siendo el 3 malo tampoco), con puzzles interesantes, muy satisfactorios y variados. La historia que tiene a mi sinceramente me da bastante igual. Creo que da contexto, pero le han dedicado mucho más esfuerzo del que luego realmente llega al jugador.
Ah, pequeño detalle. Si cada vez que entras y sale de una habitación no te pegasen un flahsazo de luz blanca, yo lo agradecería.
Ah, pequeño detalle. Si cada vez que entras y sale de una habitación no te pegasen un flahsazo de luz blanca, yo lo agradecería.
The Room 4 is, in my opinion, the weakest of the 4 Room games I have played, though that doesn't mean it is bad. While The Room 1 has it's own charm, The Room 2 has unique environments, and The Room 3 has multiple endings, The Room 4's setting and story are rather...forgettable, to say the least. I enjoyed the game, but it could have been better.
The Room series is a very consistent series, with titles that all have the same qualities and weaknesses. These games are basically like shape-sorter toys pretending to be puzzle games. But it comes with an excellent dark art direction, very creative visuals and cool animations that it's still worth playing if you're into that gothic horror vibe. This 4th episode takes place entirely inside a mansion, with each room having a specific theme. It's pretty cool, I especially like the Japanese themed room.
Just don't expect a real puzzle game a la Myst, as all the puzzles can be solved by pressing buttons and inserting objects into the right holes. There isn't really any moments in which you really have to think about the solution. Most of the time if I got stuck, it was because I didn't know what part of the mechanism could be interacted with.
Just don't expect a real puzzle game a la Myst, as all the puzzles can be solved by pressing buttons and inserting objects into the right holes. There isn't really any moments in which you really have to think about the solution. Most of the time if I got stuck, it was because I didn't know what part of the mechanism could be interacted with.