EDENGATE: The Edge of Life PlayStation 4 Review

As a human being, one of the worst experiences to have in life is memory loss. Being unable to remember certain things and people does not only affect you but also those around you. Amnesia is the scientific term. And what usually follows this disastrous phenomenon? Questions, and plenty of them.

EDENGATE: The Edge of Life takes you to a story of a young scientist named Mia Lorenson, who awakens in a forsaken hospital with absolutely zero recollection of how she ended up there. And to intensify the situation, not only does she realize that the city of Edengate is desolate, but she also faces a strange supernatural being that follows her every move. She must retrace her steps with the hope of finding the answers she’s looking for, along with, of course regaining her memory.

 

EDENGATE: The Edge of Life was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially the most difficult period of that time. So, you can see that those behind the game’s creation were influenced by this and thought to implement it into this game. Although it isn’t necessarily original, this is rather interesting, seeing as the idea of isolation is one of the most intriguing concepts in media. Not only in video games but in TV shows and movies as well.

127 Hours and Shutter Island are fine examples of isolation and its effects on a person. The thought of being on your own is extremely difficult for many to fathom. And for that, you cannot help but have sympathy for those who are suffering. And in this case, Mia Lorenson. Try to imagine for one second how it is to wake up with no memory. And on top of that, you are alone in a place you don't know about. As a player, this would somewhat motivate you to help relieve her pain.

EDENGATE: The Edge of Life has an incredibly short gameplay. It shouldn’t take you any longer than a few hours to finish. After that, you can go about the rest of your day. So really, you are playing in a movie hence, why the game’s price is incredibly low.

 

At first, before this game’s release, you were probably wondering why gameplay videos weren’t showcased and only trailers were released. But in hindsight, you’d suspect that the publisher not only wanted to create more suspense for the players but, due to the game's low duration, they tried to avoid showing at least half of the game that could possibly drive some away from getting it.

Furthermore, the game is very simple. Probably one of the simplest games you’ll have played in modern gaming. A simple walking simulator where all you do is interact with items and complete some puzzles, although Mia’s voiceovers or white triangles pretty much solve them for you, so they don't feel necessarily challenging at all. As well as moving objects and rotating and aiming lamps at peculiar entities to clear paths for your character. There are no enemies to encounter, no weapons, no health bar, and nothing else to suggest that you’ll be engaging in combat whatsoever.

Besides that, you will have that mysterious feeling in your head from the beginning to the end of the story. Plus, you'd want to know what happens next in a hollow atmosphere. And there may be instances where you’d feel like there are some questions left unanswered that lead you to create theories.

 

EDENGATE: The Edge of Life starts well, but as you advance, things get obscure, then you start to understand things, and then you go back to being unclear again. It felt like an emotional rollercoaster. And to some degree, it gets a little tedious just wandering around areas looking like a lost child.

After you’ve finally found your way outside of the building, you’ll then realize you can’t actually explore it. Well, you can view the tragic-looking street, but there’s not much else you can do. There are a few obstacles you must go through to progress, but after overcoming them, guess where they lead you; back inside. Doing all of that just to go back to the place you are trying to escape because you don’t know how you ended up there.

And during her quest for answers, there is some sort of ghost of a boy that appears every now and then, doing things that don't make much sense, if at all. Plus, there is virtually no clarification as to who exactly he is and why he is following her. Is he acting as a haunting that concerns Mia’s past? Is he trying to warn her about something? What relation does the boy have to her?

 

Moreover, there's also what appears to be an octopus-legged-shaped force that either blocks or chases her. Simply aiming the lights at them dissolves them until you rotate the bright source away from their location, but you will not understand their relevance in the first place. Again, what exactly is the relation? None of these are specified and just added more confusion to an already obscure title.

The voice actress of Mia has provided her skills in portraying a character that was indeed in agony. When you listen to her voiceovers and how she delivered a horrified woman while also going through curiosities are second to none, she manages to get players to feel her affliction. And you can thank Laryssa Okada for the haunting music that gave EDENGATE: The Edge of Life the additional terror that would have some players playing much more cautiously.

The visuals are pretty solid. Nothing special, but it meets the PlayStation 4 standards and is a cross between attractive and eerie. The designs make you feel like whatever caused the place to be in that state had really done a number on it. Think about games that are based on post-apocalypse, like The Last of Us, for example, and how the environment looks after a virus spread. That’s not to say EDENGATE: The Edge of Life is comparable, but there are some similarities to their designs. Plus, the dark colors represent the game’s frightening nature.

 

The game has done well to highlight the effects of isolation and uncertainty, as well as injecting fear. A somewhat interesting concept, but it isn’t very clear for one’s liking. The game will leave you with much more questions than answers. Albeit, EDENGATE: The Edge of Life will do just about enough to get some interest.

It would benefit the game more if there were a part two in the works to make things much more transparent for their audience. Also, due to the game’s short story, it’s still unjustified despite the very low price, especially for a game where you haven't got much to do.

EDENGATE: The Edge of Life has an interesting concept supported by its unsettling atmosphere with decent visual details, stellar voice acting, and horror soundtracks. But it severely holds back for its minimal mechanics and obscure plot.
 

Junior Onunkwo (@PoweredByKratos)
Editor, NoobFeed