Incredible yet Short-lived Experience – Year Walk Review

Boasting hauntingly gorgeous imagery and truly grim implications in regards to its lore, Year Walk has a lot going for it. This is one of those games that will encourage you to take down notes to solve puzzles as you immerse yourself in this bizarre environment...and it truly works. The monsters you encounter are delightfully nightmarish and the variety of puzzles often require you to use multiple senses, including sounds. Additionally, once the optional Companion app is utilized to continue your experience, get ready to explore how far the rabbit hole truly goes. However, that's where the experience suddenly comes to a surprising and disappointing halt. After diving into the lore and implications of Year Walk and its companion, you expect the game to truly open up with a more satisfying conclusion. Instead the "true" ending seems like it was an afterthought; like time ran out or a budget had reached its peak and the developers had to stop its story before it could truly be finished. This is a shame since, up till the end of the game, I was completely invested. I wrote pages of notes detailing different characters, objects, puzzles, and locations. In fact, there are websites online with the intention on expanding on the lore like an ARG. In the end, Year Walk is a truly one of a kind experience; one that I truly won't forget. With a simple story and mysterious creatures, if has the elements of a masterpiece. Had it not been for a lackluster conclusion, I would give this my highest recommendation.
Review by LewisAugustine on Year Walk.