Back in June, I was lucky enough to preview the demo ofCloser the Distance,an upcoming slice-of-life sim from Osmotic Studios.
It was here Ifell in love with the storywhich told the story of the connections between those left behind following a tragic loss.
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Whether it is her little sister Conny, local doctor Galya, boyfriend Zek or best friend River, we as the player are able to step into their shoes and serve as their guardian in the weeks following Angie’s death.
Osmotic Studios
It is here we are able to check their needs and wishes and tie up some loose ends left behind all whilst trying our hardest to repair the connections that have frayed during the grieving process.
It is the characters that carryCloser the Distancewith many of them offering a representation of the stages of grief.
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Zek is angry due to losing both his mother and now his girlfriend and wishes to leave the town he feels like a ghost in.
We also meet Conny and Angie’s parents who are deep in their grief, Galya’s girlfriend Leigh who is struggling herself but is scared to speak out when everybody else is mourning and even Henrietta, the eldest in the town who stays to herself.
Some characters make more of an impact than others and there are some that I wish had more of a voice. Although we were not able to control every character, I wish their existence still had some relevance in the game and they didn’t feel like such two dimensional characters.
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Gameplay is pretty straightforward and much like inThe Sims,you control your character’s day whether that means heading to the fridge for a snack or asking someone to hang out.
You will also be given objectives that you can choose to attempt but some of them are time-gated and can be failed.
Osmotic Studios
As a result of this, each playthrough will be unique as you will have to put away time to complete certain objectives whilst abandoning others.
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In my playthrough, Leigh and her son Bohdi eventually left town for a while but I believe this was because I didn’t complete the objective of spending more time with her as Galya. Perhaps she would have stayed if I had but I ran out of time due to Galya’s other commitments and needs.
So you may be wondering why I feel as thoughCloser the Distancefell at the last hurdle.
There were two major issues I had with the game: its voice acting and its slow ending.
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Out of its fourteen characters, some of the voice acting felt a bit stiff and took away from the dialogue which can be heavy and grief-ridden.
However, there are some standouts such as Conny’s mum, Pia, who broke my heart with her monologues about her lost daughter.
More than my minor issues with voice acting,Closer the Distancelet me down the closer we got to the end.
Osmotic Studios
As a result, there are several in-game days where you are unable to do anything but fast forward time and wait for something to happen.
I had completed all objectives and only had control over two characters whose stories had almost ended so I quite literally had nothing to do which disappointingly ruined the pacing of the game.
You knew it was coming to an end but it got to the stage where I wanted to end to come quicker so that I had something to do which is not how I wanted my experience withCloser the Distanceto turn out.
However, the very ending managed to pull me back as it focused on the story of Conny and Angie and how the sisters had to eventually let go.
As someone who has experienced grief quite a lot in my lifetime, moments like this will always resonate deeply and also serve as a reminder that pain is part of being human and is something that connects us all.
Overall, my experience with this upcoming life-sim was a mostly positive experience.
Osmotic Studios
The close-knit community and setting made the grief feel all the more suffocating and as the player, you try your hardest to inject hope back into the world. Whether that means bringing fading relationships back to life, giving someone a purpose again or just being the quiet presence that somebody needs.
Despite my issues, I believeCloser the Distanceis a title that should be experienced for yourself as your story may turn out different to mine.
Pros:Heartbreaking narrative, simple yet beautiful art-style, fun Sims-like gameplay
Cons:Voice acting could be a bit off, ending felt disjointed
For fans of:The Sims, Midnight Mass
Score: 6/10: Good
Topics:Indie Games,Reviews
