Closer The Distance Review | PC

A happy ending is not necessary for every story. However, there is always a different story that begins with an ending and ends with a completely other, unexpected one. We play a lot of story-driven games these days, but the life simulation genre isn't often utilized.

Developed by Osmotic Studios and published by Skybound Games, Closer The Distance is one of those unique life simulation games that evoke strong emotions via its narrative. This moving story follows a community as they cope with the loss of someone they love and the ripple effect that ripples across their neighborhood.

 

Closer The Distance brings us to the small town of Yesterby, which is a little community consisting of just thirteen people. Connie, one of the story's main characters, and her family go through a difficult time when Angela, Connie's sister, passes away as a result of unfortunate events.

Playing as Connie and, later on, a few other chosen Yesterby characters, we struggle to carry on Angela's legacy while also attempting to overcome our grief over her passing. The main story about dealing with loss and doing what's right by living is interwoven with the many subsidiary storylines that arise when we take control of other characters.

In addition to Connie, we follow the lives of Angela's doctor Galya, her lover Zek, Angela's ostensible closest friend River, and a traveling musician named Laul. The stress that comes on Galya's relationship is compounded by her efforts to assist her closest friend Pia, who happens to be Angela's mom.

After Angela dies, Zek believes he has nowhere to go in Yesterby and sinks into a deep depression. He also struggles to face his own mortality. With her dad's aid, River is attempting to construct a boat lodge so that Yesterby can grow. Laul, on the other hand, thinks he's doing the right thing, but everyone appears to despise him.

The story's decision is rather distinctive and almost every character in the story is connected to one another. Angela somehow connects with Connie and the rest of the cast from her afterlife. The loss of Angela has been too much for Connie's family to bear. Despite the fact that everyone has to be followed up on since Angela was so vital, Connie never discusses the grief process with her parents.

 

Including the main storyline with Connie, I found Zek's tale to be the most captivating of all. He appears to have the most developed and compelling connection with Angela, and their shared desire to flee Yesterby is reflected in Angela's willingness to do the same. Angela left home the night before she passed away because her parents would not accept or comprehend her decision.

The narrative is interwoven with a life simulation in the game, allowing us to guide people to achieve their goals to advance the plot. There are some that lead to several choices and others that are more linear. However, fulfilling certain wants will take more than one day in-game. 

The choices of the characters that we control are mostly influenced by what Angela would want. She influences and speaks to the people that we have control over, which serves as a narrative mechanism for the gameplay. Beyond her role as narrator, Angela is the catalyst that directs the characters to achieve their aspirations.

Each chapter of the game ends when everyone goes to sleep and you'll see a recollection from Angela, which typically marks the beginning of another chapter in the story's progression. Upon fulfilling a character's primary objective, a letting go scene takes their place, during which Angela and the characters bid each other farewell and separate.

Once Angela says goodbye, you are no longer able to assume control of that character. To a certain extent, this is the game's primary indicator of advancement. The gameplay is reminiscent of more complex visual adventure games, but it's severely lacking in depth and variety, leaving you to wonder what more may have been. If there were conversation options, story-based gaming would be so much more immersive.

 

Since part of the gameplay mechanism is a life sim, in addition to managing the acts, you need to attend to the characters' essential requirements so that they remain content and prepared to carry them out. When these fundamental requirements like food, relaxation, and social skills are unmet, characters often abandon the pursuits that bring them joy in favor of exploring the world on their own.

The issue here is that their autonomous pursuits don't always seem to cater to these fundamental needs. In-game characters and non-player characters who aren't under your control at the moment wander off to do their own things. Although you are not able to manage every character, you are free to follow anybody you like and move the camera about as you like.

There is a lack of depth in the life simulation component as well. Contrary to The Sims, you cannot plan ahead and do several tasks at once. Instead, in the close-quarters mode, the characters will carry out your commands without prompting and will immediately change their actions when you pick a different option. Your character's mood determines whether certain actions can be performed, while some are time-restricted and some are simply blocked.

The life simulation mechanics don't seem to advance the plot or improve the overall experience. Neither the simulation options nor the impact of a character's condition on the plot are readily apparent. Having a character who is hungry or tired prevents you from doing things that you want to do to progress the narrative since their moods impact their interactions. There is a relationship tracker but I never saw any impact of this feature during the gameplay.

Some major plot points will occur every so often. A question mark appears above the character's likeness to indicate this. When a number of critical things are occurring simultaneously, this might become too much to handle. It seems that some things happen and then disappear, while others just wait for you. Regardless, there were moments when I felt as if important plot points were glossed over.

 

Towards the end of the game, when you, like me, will likely begin to care about the situation of a certain character. The life simulation gameplay and several tales are intriguing, but I find that the systems often conflict and prevent you from moving according to your preferences or from experiencing certain aspects of the plot.

Closer The Distance is a visually gorgeous game and it stands out because of its unique three-dimensional look. The well-executed mix of color and design brings Yesterby and the people living there to life. In addition, the game has a lot of animations, which adds another dimension of life to it.

However, there are flaws in some of the movements as well. Speeding up the game's pace makes the characters' seem rather odd. The music and sound design are likewise decent. The voice actors also did a fine job. The beautiful artwork, gloomy soundtrack, voice acting, and exploration of the character's emotional journeys are all connected with a very nice presentation.

In the end, Closer The Distance is a good game to play but it's not for everyone. It offers a moving story of grief and finding strength in the face of hardship; sprinkled throughout are discussions on community disintegration. It delves into topics like friendship and despair and storytelling that touches on deep emotions where your decisions combine an unusual story.

 

Closer The Distance surely is made with much care, with excellent acting and writing, and offers a heartfelt and open-ended premise. You might end up connecting yourself with the game while you heal broken connections, get insight into their history, and give them the strength to persevere through difficult times. If you like emotionally charged, story-driven experiences, you will surely love Closer The Distance.

 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Senior Editor, NoobFeed