The Last Door: Game Review

Surprise! It's your PLM, coming at you with an unexpected game review!

I also want to take the time to plug Strange Lands Short Stories: Thrilling Tales again, which features my short fiction: “Gemini Syndrome”. It's out now so you can buy it on Amazon!

Background

The Last Door is a psychological/cosmic horror point-and-click adventure game, which was released in eight episodes. The game was developed and published by The Game Kitchen for various platforms, with the first episode being released in 2013 and the last one being released in 2016.

As a point-and-click game, the player moves through locations, picking up items, interacting with other characters, and figuring out puzzles. The soundtrack needs to be called out too, composed by Carlos Viola, it was hauntingly beautiful!

Plot

Something ancient and evil is stirring in Victorian England. Only you can stop it. Journey to the brink of madness and beyond as you set forth alone into the dark.

The Last Door description on Steam

The plot centers on four childhood friends, who try and explore a supernatural territory/phenomenon known as the Veil. The story starts with a man named Jeremiah Devitt, who is summoned to his old friend Anthony Beechworth's house. Upon arriving, he finds his friend dead. Haunted by his friend's last words, Devitt begins to investigate the haunting forces that now threaten him as well -- which means recalling his own repressed and unsettling memories.

Overall

Low-Res Horror, High Suspense

The Game Kitchen website

This game was so much fun and such a good story! It has a lot of nods to Lovecraft and Poe, which includes cute little easter eggs -- but, don't be fooled, the story of The Last Door is completely unique and haunting.

There's nothing I love more than a video game with a well-written plot, especially if it is cosmic-horror. The story told through The Last Door was in-depth and intriguing, told at just the right pace to keep me wondering and wanting more.

On top of that, the game had amazing music, haunting atmosphere, and I really enjoyed the nostalgia I felt seeing the pixel type animation. The puzzles were difficult enough to keep me on my toes while not being so hard that I got frustrated. My only complaint was that I wish the game was longer, but I guess that's just because I liked it so much.

Overall, the perfect game for horror fans who value strong narrative and suspense, and I will be keeping an eye on The Game Kitchen for future games.

9/10

x P.L. McMillan