This dream makes use of a TV, a set piece that I maintain is one of the creepiest Rusty Lake has to offer. Luckily, this is not the case, as the third dream proves. If the rest of it was like this, it would seem we had waited a year for nothing. At this point, I became somewhat worried as to the rest of the game.
THE WHITE DOOR DOMINOS TRIAL
It remains the same puzzle, which I never found to be the most irritating puzzle in Harvey’s Box, but which I admit is rather heavily based on trial and error, and not particularly creative, especially since we’ve seen it before. And then we come to our “favorite game”: the domino puzzle. Personally, I found it quite difficult to figure out the trick for this particular puzzle (the lack of a window on the screen simply escaped my notice), so this puzzle impeded my progress significantly. No instructions are given, so we are confused at the box we can only seem to move around the screen. However, it is at this point that the memory test becomes a bit of an obstacle. It is worth noting that Sarah’s puzzles become more complex in this section, and we get a hint of the Rusty Lake we know as we are forced to search the room to piece together codes (Sarah’s puzzles remain a strong point for the rest of the game). The third day seems to continue this trend at first, as we are faced with a similarly straightforward set of tasks, with a few frustrating wrinkles. Players who have been following the details of the game’s release are particularly disappointed, as they know that only five days remain, and the first two have not done much to impress. New players are disappointed that the game is not grabbing their attention, and old players are disappointed at the lack of the old Rusty Lake atmosphere. However, this sacrifices a lot of power, as the first sections are the sections that rope in players. The first two days in general also work thematically, as Bob’s routine has to seem monotonous and dull in order to make the later sections effective.
THE WHITE DOOR DOMINOS SERIES
I realize that these first two dreams serve a purpose, as they’re meant to both introduce the mechanics and the plot (particularly to players who are new to the series and have no idea who Laura is). Except for Laura’s mysterious appearance and disappearance, nothing resembling the strange atmosphere of Rusty Lake is here to carry us forward, and the same is true of the initial sequences in Bob’s room (unless one starts to play with the achievements, which I will address later). In terms of gameplay, the dreams aren’t particularly engaging, and the story isn’t extremely exciting at this point. These dreams, as with the rest, are incredibly simple, requiring simple tapping and dragging movements to move the story forward, along with an occasional puzzle with much less complexity than we’re used to. The dreams also establish background, depicting the breakup and Bob’s firing. The routine actions are simple, and both Sarah’s puzzles and the memory test are easy. Days 1 and 2 are meant to serve as an introduction to Bob’s daily routine and the format of the game. However, I’m going to combine the first two sections because there’s not much to distinguish them. With the general stuff out of the way, I think it’s best to tackle each section of the game individually. That being said, I understand that the blandness is a thematic necessity and it has a purpose, so it’s not much of a problem, and it makes the game unique in its own way. Even when color is brought in during the dreams and the finale, the colors feel a little less vibrant than the ones we’re familiar with. This feels like a detriment at first, as the distinctive color schemes of the games give each one its own atmosphere and character. The game makes an interesting choice in its use of color, or lack thereof.
Although these features may throw veteran players at first, it is easy to adapt to them, and they work particularly well in the context of the game (one of them in particular adds incredible new dimensions that we will discuss later). The new game presents us with several new features, including a third-person camera, a split screen, extensive dialogue, and no inventory. It’s also co-published by a new studio, Second Maze, allowing it to break from the traditional Rusty Lake style, despite remaining in the same universe.
The White Door comes after a year of no Rusty Lake content, so it was highly anticipated by the fans. If you haven’t seen the rest of the reviews, I’ll post links in the comments.
After a long drought, I’m back for another review, this time tackling the latest entry in the Rusty Lake Saga, The White Door.
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