If you've ever seen a hallmark movie, then you should know what you're in for when you play this game. For everyone else, Lake is about a woman that is living the big life in the city, but decides to take a few weeks off to house sit for her parents. Along the way she meets a cast of characters that could warm your heart, while she takes up odd ball deliveries for the mail. From rekindling friendships, helping the towns folk, and the possibility of love, Lake is a care free video game about soaking everything in a place and time you may have forgotten about.
While I wouldn't call this a walking simulator, it certainly isn't pushing the player to any degree. The most amount of urgency you have is on the possibility to miss out on some optional story or dialogue options, but even then the game can be fairly open with mistakes you make or options you choose. The game isn't really that long either, ranging in about 6 hours for more lax players out there. The majority of the game is just driving from one place to deliver mail, and finishing the day back at the post office. It really does feel like a vacation back to a simple life. Delivering mail is surprisingly rewarding, but it would have made for a much more interesting game if we had more scenarios with different characters rather than the small amount of interaction we got.
Still there is something oddly captivating about Lake that makes me wonder if there is something to Hallmark movie formulas. From the possibility of a lesbian romance, more traditional hetero one, and just the over arching story of a person coming back to their home town and making it work, I was honestly a bit smitten by this game. It certainly isn't going to win any rewards for originality, but it makes me feel relaxed in a way not a lot of other games do. The fact that Lake has traditional beats to a corny movie formula, gameplay that is more fun than demanding, and a simple gameplay loop that makes me feel like I'm doing something just kinda makes me wonder what more can we do with this kind of game? For what Lake is, it delivers, and while I don't think it will set the world on fire for anyone out there, it does feel like a calming heart beat that we all need sometimes.
While I wouldn't call this a walking simulator, it certainly isn't pushing the player to any degree. The most amount of urgency you have is on the possibility to miss out on some optional story or dialogue options, but even then the game can be fairly open with mistakes you make or options you choose. The game isn't really that long either, ranging in about 6 hours for more lax players out there. The majority of the game is just driving from one place to deliver mail, and finishing the day back at the post office. It really does feel like a vacation back to a simple life. Delivering mail is surprisingly rewarding, but it would have made for a much more interesting game if we had more scenarios with different characters rather than the small amount of interaction we got.
Still there is something oddly captivating about Lake that makes me wonder if there is something to Hallmark movie formulas. From the possibility of a lesbian romance, more traditional hetero one, and just the over arching story of a person coming back to their home town and making it work, I was honestly a bit smitten by this game. It certainly isn't going to win any rewards for originality, but it makes me feel relaxed in a way not a lot of other games do. The fact that Lake has traditional beats to a corny movie formula, gameplay that is more fun than demanding, and a simple gameplay loop that makes me feel like I'm doing something just kinda makes me wonder what more can we do with this kind of game? For what Lake is, it delivers, and while I don't think it will set the world on fire for anyone out there, it does feel like a calming heart beat that we all need sometimes.