Developer: The Chinese Room
Publisher: Secret Mode
Available On: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S
Reviewed on Xbox Series S
Rising to fame with “Dear Esther” in 2012, The Chinese Room is considered by many to be the studio that pioneered the “walking simulator” genre, introducing players to first-person narrative games where you primarily walk around environments as you piece together a story through narration and short scripted events. Following up with Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs in 2013, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture in 2015 (one of my favorite games of the last generation), The Chinese Room have made a dedicated fanbase with their particular style of games. However, shortly after their newfound success, The Chinese Room underwent a complete restructuring due to a whole string of complicated events that caused them to completely pivot toward VR and mobile games. Now, after nearly a decade, The Chinese Room have returned to their roots with Still Wakes the Deep, a new walking simulator that seeks to evolve the genre while still showcasing the strengths that made their studio famous in the first place. Unfortunately, Still Wakes the Deep misses the mark in nearly every category.
Sight-In Games 