The art style of this game is subtle, yet captivating. I endlessly poured over cutaway books as a kid, and this game is no less a feast for the eyes. Every nook and cranny in the game's levels is fully realized; when you open a door, more details pop into existence as if it were a door on an advent calendar. What seems like a small, compartmentalized office building on the surface might actually be a sprawling labyrinth underneath. You feel compelled to explore every inch of this lived in world, soaking up details that hint at other, smaller stories (with the odd supplemental note or computer entry).
It's like playing inside a little Lego model or a dollhouse, miniaturized and packaged with a story that shows instead of telling you what happened. I won't spoil anything, so I'll just say that intrigue and mystery play a sizable role. Even at the end, some of your questions aren't answered, like "who was on the phone?"
The game is a little short as some others have mentioned, but if that's an issue, you can always get the DLC levels that follow the story of a new character. Alternatively, you can just play the game again. I'm honestly a little biased because I love the cutaway/hidden rooms atheistic. It's like the rooms are being carved right out of the bedrock as you play! How cool is that?
Other parts of the game that are notable:
NPC characters that you can bring with you on your journey. Or not.
You then need to keep alive in-between levels, feeding them and healing the ones who are bleeding. When they're starving, they also slowly die (kinda annoying)
You also need to play little mini-games that keeps the train's systems within "acceptable bounds," otherwise your passengers lose health.
The NPCs have little conversations while you do all this, sharing their own perspective on the current situation or their own lives.
There are rewards for keeping each of them alive, like money and weapon upgrades.
Resource micromanagement
Bullets (Should I shoot him or risk melee? What if I waste my last bullet?)
Health items (Should I use a medkit, or save it for my passengers and try to beat this level with half health?)
Food (Should I give the bleeding guy a hamburger?)
Scavenging (Nice, I got $12 and a few bullets from that cupboard!)
Crafting (Kinda. Resources you find while out 'venturing can be made into bullets or medkits, but that's it)
Time (Dang, he's bleeding, I better...wait, the train's vents are....oh, someone sent me a message, wait let me just....everyone stop DYING)
Emotions I felt while playing this
Frustration (Dammit, there are too many of them!)
Awe (Wow, look at that)
Disgust (Wow...look at this...)
Uneasiness (....what was that..?)
Depression (Great, now what?)
*******!?!? (Wait, WHAT)
You get to drive a train! Who doesn't like trains?
All-in-all, a very satisfying "platforming" experience that is a little short, but definitely worth your time.
RATING: Fantastic
Attached: out of the almost 1000 screenshots I have of this game, these 4 are my favorite.
