Sorry We’re Closed reminds me of a more fruity version of Silent Hill. There are clear inspirations from the earlier versions of survival-horror so it’s hard not to draw comparisons among the classics. However, Sorry We’re Closed draws its own identity by being so aesthetically unique.
Developed by à la mode games, Sorry We’re Closed is a survival-horror game about demons, angels, and what happens when two worlds collide against each other with human beings caught in the middle. You play as Michelle, an unfortunate convenience store clerk, who unlocks her third eye, which allows her to see the two worlds.
It’s no stretch to say that Sorry We’re Closed is certainly unique with its own approach to survival horror that lie behind the neon-tinted occult. The question is whether the game is for you. If the premise of the game interests you, then read this review and find out!
The first thing I noticed is how bright Sorry We’re Closed is. Its neon colored environments and brightly colored protagonist make it hard to really be scared of anything. Almost everything feels like it came out of a fever dream. In fact, the art is almost blinding with its up front assault of neon colors. Even the characters themselves are all designed with bright and striking imagery in mind.
I’d say the game feels very punk. It’s rebellious and does its own thing. A lot of personal identity and how you sometimes clash with other personalities seems to be a central theme in Sorry We’re Closed. Because of this you’ll meet characters who are queer, non-binary, and a member of the LGBTQ. The cast here is quite inclusive and full of diverse personalities.
Not only that, but their designs are also appropriately colorful. Not only the humans but also the demons and angels. They often have extra appendages that are difficult for a human to describe.
I’ve mentioned before that Sorry We’re Closed reminds me of Silent Hill. That’s because its gameplay does take inspiration from traditional survival horror. The game follows fixed camera angles with the option to even have tank controls. However, you can leave them in the default modern controls should you choose to do so.
Like any respectable survival horror, Sorry We’re Closed has plenty of puzzle-solving. Though it mostly had something to do with finding an item from one area and then using it to progress in another. Where the puzzle-solving becomes interesting is through the use of Michelle’s Third Eye mechanic, which allows her to see through different planes of reality.
By activating her Third Eye, Michelle can see the otherworld, which allows her to see and interact with the other world. She can gain new information, traverse dangerous areas, and get key items this way. The only drawback is that she can’t run when her Third Eye is active.
The Third Eye also plays a critical role in combat. Activating it at the right time can stun enemies, giving you ample time to fight back. Or even run if you’re focused on conserving ammunition. The kicker is that the Third Eye has limited range, so you’ll have to get close for this to work.
You can look around in first person view with the L2 button. And this is the button you’ll use to enter combat. Demons don’t really get damaged the normal way and have certain weak spots that will make themselves known through the Third Eye. Demonic creatures have hearts around their bodies, and you’ll have to strike all of them in order to put them down. Since your Third Eye has limited range, this can be risky, so you’ll have to shoot accurately in quick succession.
You can easily take a lot of damage, which makes fights risky. Especially against hordes of enemies. If you get surrounded, it’s hard to keep track because the game puts you in first-person perspective when engaging. You’ll have to be quick and accurate if you want to get out without taking any damage.
Ammo here is more generous than usual. More likely because of the multiple precise hits that are required to take enemies down for good. It feels satisfying to immediately take down a strong enemy after a few well-placed hits. This also charges a meter for your special weapon later on that allows you to one shot most enemies in the game, except for bosses.
The game also has some approachable mechanics if you’re struggling. You can enable a feature in the options menu that lets you have infinite restoration items, which are normally rather scarce. While I found that I never really needed to use the axe melee weapon unless it’s to get rid of obstacles, I found myself not really having trouble with finding ammunition.
There are also side quests. Unlike other survival-horror games that I’m used to, Sorry We’re Closed lets you interact with NPCs around the environment. Some of them have particular requests that you can fulfill or just choose to ignore.
What I really like about the game is that you can’t really tell who’s who and if they are what they say they are. When it comes to angels and demons, you never really know who’s on your side. And there are even choices in the game that alter which ending you’ll get.
There are also the characters. Personally, I found quite a few of them interesting. Especially our protagonist Michelle, who is heartbroken and wandering aimlessly through life. At least until she gets cursed by a supernatural being and has to make choices that drastically alter her life.
There are also the angels and demons, and the bizarre way they work. Most demons are hostile, but they can quickly be dispatched, while some are nominal and interactable; they’re not really friendly to humans. The angels are only slightly better but have their own sense of morality that’s not so easy for humans to understand.
I recommend Sorry We’re Closed to anyone who’s interested in a game with solid characters and exploring an interesting story. I don’t think the themes will interest everyone, but what the game offers was entertaining enough for me to dive into.
I recommend Sorry We're Closed to anyone who's interested in a game with solid characters and exploring an interesting story.
The Good
- Music, especially boss fights, are amazing
- Solid characters and interesting story
- Colorful environments tainted with neon paint
- Art designs are visually striking
The Bad
- Regular enemies weren't as interesting to fight against
