I was always interested in Lake after finding out about it as it has a very relaxing vibe to the videos and previews I've seen which is often a nice change of pace between larger games. Finally playing it though I just had a constant nagging thought rattling around in my skull from almost the start to finish.

Do games need to have a point?

Initially I felt it doesn't matter. Lot's of arcade and action heavy games you just play without a point. After assessing more though I thought increasingly that that isn't true, the gameplay and challenge is the point. Beating your previous score, getting through in 1CC. They absolutely do have a point, it just is different to a more narrative focused game where the story and characters are the point or a game like journey where the experience, visuals and music produce feeling in people that a normal game may not. Nearly every game has a point, purpose or direction the creators are pushing for in some form and most are identifiable if different to each other.

Does Lake have a point?

I could think about this so much because of my lack of investment in Lake as a game allowed my mind to wander off in search of it's own direction. Unfortunately this game whilst not bad is just unsatisfying in it's gameplay and narrative to the point I don't feel it had a direction. I saw all 3 endings and don't feel a single one of them resolved the story in a satisfying or most importantly, meaningful way. The game focuses on Meredith Weiss in 1986 who after finishing helping create a new computer software package takes two weeks to go to her tiny town to cover for her dad delivering mail. I think Jamesbuc's review covers the premise best describing it as a daytime Hallmark movie plot and frankly they arn't wrong. The thing is Lake's story needed to be strong to carry it and it unfortunately isn't. dialogue and characters just fall flat, many encounters seem pointless, are completely optional and are superfluous to the ending. There are two romance options but neither felt really convincing and some of the dialogue just didn't flow well or naturally. I will give the developer credit though for being able to make so many choices who you hang out with and talk to but when it comes across as so meaningless by the end it doesn't really matter. there is one sub plot with your co-worker that seemed absolutely pointless but that could have been due to my choices and I have no desire to replay it to find out.

The reason this needed to be strong is the gameplay side of Lake is somewhat lackluster. You are delivering mail, literally. I know people enjoy the train, car mechanic, farming and Bowser cleaning simulator type games for mundane jobs they don't actually enjoy but this just doesn't work. I found it interesting initially but having to stop and slowly walk to a mail box and put envelopes in, climb into the van then repeat for two weeks in game time with nothing to spice it up really drags by the second week. The van music radio and pretty aesthetics are nice, I enjoyed driving through listening to country pop type music but with only 5-6 songs and visual pop in and minor bugs even that got repetitive after a while so I turned the radio off in silence.

By the end I was happy for the game to finish and I didn't care what happened to Meredith. The idea of the game is good but it meanders in what it wants to be and the elements don't come together. It needed stronger character development on fewer cast members with a point to it all to make it an overall more engaging experience because there is little suggested here to actually give Meredith a reason to stay in the town, go back to her job or run off in an RV.

Lake just doesn't have a point.