Lake Review

Life in the big city—working a high-stress job—isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes you just gotta quit your job, move to a new country, change your name, and disappear for 10 years, it’s called self-care. That’s not quite what Meredith did in Lake, but taking a vacation to your hometown to cover your father’s shifts as a mailman (while he parties in Florida, couldn’t we have done that instead?) isn’t a bad second option.

Set in 1986, you get to explore the beautiful, lakeside town of Providence Oaks in the mail truck nicknamed the Goose. On your route you can reconnect with old friends, make new ones, or potentially find someone special who might convince you to stay or leave with them. Delivering a package to the local diner will allow you to catch up with the new owner, Maureen. She’s happy to update you on everything that’s happened since you left, give you some insight, and offer you a slice of blueberry pie while she’s at it.

The atmosphere is a breath of fresh air, being surrounded by trees (even virtual ones) is good for the soul. Spending your day driving around the charming lake, listening to Witchcraft by Thyra for the umpteenth time, and the evenings reading a bad romance novel. There’s an almost nostalgic feel to the game, which might not be so strange considering it has a focus on the character’s past.

As you’re out delivering the mail you’ll end up meeting some of the more unique residents like the local crazy cat lady, Mildred, or the jerk at the motel. The biggest drawback is that you can’t pet any of the animals you find, even when you help Mildred’s poor, cupcake-eating cat. The morning radio segment “Pet Peeves” is sure to be the highlight of your morning, giving funny little doses of the town inhabitant’s personalities. Though I reckon Reynolds the DJ/farmer could stand to add a few new songs to the radio playlist.

Some of the social interactions can get a bit tricky, the text for the choices you’re given don’t always convey the tone your character will use. You might choose an option that sounds more neutral or kind and it, unfortunately, plays out with your character being quite rude. Though navigating the choices and deciding whether to be diplomatic or dramatic is half the fun.

Robert and Angie are the love interests you get to choose between, Angie being the blonde movie geek and Robert an antisocial lumberjack. They both come with an assortment of realistic red flags, so you get to choose between commitment issues or potential crazy. The dating scene can be rough, but are you willing to look past a massive breach of privacy in the search for love?

Agents of chaos will be disappointed to know that this sleepy little town does not allow destruction. Accidents leave no damage and Gamious drew a hard line against vehicular manslaughter, forcing the Goose to break just before hitting anyone. It helps you fit in with all the other drivers who are so polite they won’t even honk once when you cause a major backup on the bridge while getting a photo of the dam.

You may not be able to be directly involved in killing people but you can deliver murder weapons! Dropping off a chainsaw shaped parcel at a very abandoned, dilapidated shack in the middle of the woods is definitely a set-up for a horror movie. Somebody should probably report that…

Fall in love with the small town of Providence Lakes or continue your life as a workaholic, steer Meredith down the path you think is best. All in all the story of Lake wraps up nicely based on the choices you make. It’s just a nice, short, relaxing game.