One of the great things about gaming is that you can create any story that you want. You are not confined to any genre or set of facts. You can explore other worlds or alternate timelines with ease. PolyAmorous has taken this route with their newest release – Paradise Lost.
The war persisted for 20 more years only to end in flames when the Nazis launched nuclear missiles on most of Europe. In the aftermath, the heart of Europe remains shrouded in the mystery of complete destruction and deadly radiation, inaccessible to the rest of the world. Before this final salvo, Germany built an entire underground bunker city to make sure their way of life would continue. Filled with retro futuristic machines and artifacts of the past the bunker now lays abandoned. Searching for answers to his past, a young man enters and finds more than he ever expected.
As you explore the bunker and delve deeper you will be confronted with your own memories and learn exactly what the Nazis had planned. What was going on here, and what was the goal of this underground civilization? Beyond the creepy atmosphere of the abandoned bunker, there is a steadily building feeling of unease about what happened. Walking through the a secret Nazi base, even in an altered time line, seems surreal.
This game is more about story telling than it is action. There are no timers, so you are free to explore every reachable nook and cranny of the maps. A few puzzles exist in the game, but nothing that will stress you out too much. Controls are very similar to other walking simulators, except when it comes to dialogue. Instead of using the left stick to scroll through, you must use the D-Pad. It took me a little bit to figure this out, and I ended up having to go back and re-do a small section of the game so that I could get more of the narrative.
The graphics are amazing. You are transported into this alternate reality filled with futuristic yet retro designs. The world ranges from the desolate to the opulent, and each is done with precision. From a small isolated cave, lavish rail cars, magnificent museums, and dark forgotten control rooms – you feel immersed in the surroundings. The music and sound effects are fairly subtle. They help immerse you into this world. Echoing large chambers and distant mechanical sounds complete the whole atmosphere.
With a look into an alternate timeline, Paradise Lost is a beautiful game that takes on a sensitive subject with tact. They explore an alternate world where the Nazi Empire is not painted as the automatic villain. On the flip side, they are not portrayed as the heroes either. The player gets to come to their own conclusions.
Out now on Xbox, Playstation and Steam. Carrying a price tag of about $15, it is well worth the investment. There are multiple choices that seem to slightly change the story, so you will get more than one run through the title. An interesting and absorbing story that will keep you enthralled as you explore.
