Lake (video game)
Lake | |
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Single-player |
Lake is a 2021
The four-year development began in 2017 after director Dylan Nagel pitched the concept to Gamious. The setting was chosen for its aesthetics, while the time period was selected as it offered a nostalgic and relatable feeling. The world and characters were inspired by several American
Lake was first showcased in 2018. It was released for
Gameplay
Lake is a
Letters are stored in Meredith's
Plot
On September 1, 1986,
By the game's end, the player must decide whether Meredith will stay in Providence Oaks and take over her father's position permanently, or accept a partnership offer from her boss Steve Mitchell in the software company and return to her life in the big city. Each of these main endings has several versions, depending on the player's choices, including Meredith's romantic relationship. A third main ending becomes available if the player's choices led to Meredith owning an
Development
Lake was developed by Dutch company
A small team was formed to flesh out the concept in November 2017, and artists, animators, programmers, and a producer were added over time.[11] The team aimed to complete the game within 18 months, though development ultimately took almost four years.[12] Several titles were considered; Lake received no objections due to its "simple and carefree vibe".[5] Most important creative choices had been decided before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, allowing the team to shift to remote work with few difficulties.[9] They found the pandemic increased demand for a relaxing experience.[9]
Game development management software Articy Draft was used to create the narrative with its branching options.[10]: 6:02 The writers crafted a simple story to allow the player to enjoy their time in the world.[12] They wanted the player to feel in control of the story as opposed to simply witnessing it,[4] allowing them to opt in to tasks without feeling stressed,[12] partly achieved by isolating characters to individual stories.[1] Lead writer Jos Bouman sought each action to feel significant regardless of their results due to the quietness and immersion of the world,[12][13] and wanted the dilemmas to feel complex without correct answers.[1] He felt most players could resonate with Meredith and Kay's relationship as "most people have grown apart from friends they knew back in the day".[4]
Several characters were physically based on blends of famous actors, such as George Carlin, Bill Murray, Hailee Steinfeld, and Betty White.[10]: 5:38 Bouman cited American sitcoms Cheers, Northern Exposure, and Seinfeld as inspirations for their balance between comedy and personal stories.[4] The team wanted to present Lake as a laid-back, relaxing video game experience with a sincere and mature narrative; Bouman called it "anti-GTA" due to its lack of confrontation or stakes.[1] He described it as "a game about nothing" that is relatable to players as a slice of life.[14]
The team chose 1986 for the setting as it offered a relatable, nostalgic feeling and avoided modern troubles from mobile phones and the internet.
The team considered different locations for the game, including Canada or Scandinavia, but found they would be less familiar for the player.[1][14] The states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming were considered,[16] but Oregon was ultimately chosen for its aesthetics; Nagel had lived in Beaverton for 18 months in the early 2000s.[14][15] The team felt they were familiar with Oregon and the Pacific Northwest through media like First Blood, Gilmore Girls, and Twin Peaks, and figured players would similarly be familiar as consumers of American popular culture. Technical environment artist Jonathan van Immerzeel performed extensive research through Google Maps and books about trees in the region.[12] United States-based publisher Whitethorn Games reviewed the dialogue to ensure it sounded authentic.[14] The game was built using the game engine Unity. Van Immerzeel used several Unity tools in development, such as World Creator for the landscape and Vegetation Studio for the environment. The game uses a proprietary lighting system with the goal to create a natural look while maintaining artistic control.[11]
Release and promotion
Lake was first showcased through a playable
The game was originally
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Push Square | 6/10[39] |
RPGFan | 73/100[6] |
The Games Machine (Italy) | 9/10[40] |
The Guardian | 3/5[41] |
Gayming Magazine | 5/5[42] |
Lake received "mixed or average" reviews for most platforms according to
Several critics considered the narrative simplistic but effective.[40][41][45] RPGFan's Caitlin Argyros found it "a bit dull" but acknowledged the uniqueness of its lack of grandeur.[6] NME's Hirun Cryer praised the "brilliant branching narrative pathways",[38] and Eurogamer's Emad Ahmed wanted more character interactions.[2] Push Square's Croft considered the story an effective palate cleanser in contrast to "heavier" games, though found its simplicity limited its potential.[39] Adventure Gamers's Mattsson considered the narrative "memorable, delightful, and at times profound" and praised its impartiality regarding Meredith's final decision.[3] Conversely, Destructoid's Zoey Handley felt it pressured the player into choosing to stay, removing their agency.[36] Jeuxvideo.com's Pauline Leclercq found the narrative authentic but the conclusion predictable.[37]
Some journalists highlighted the handling of
The voice performances were praised by reviewers.[3][6][40] Jeuxvideo.com's Leclercq felt they provided life to otherwise devoid characters.[37] Eurogamer's Ahmed considered Meredith "one of the most memorable, fully-fleshed out video game characters" of the year and found himself "unusually invested" in the lives of the community.[2] Several critics similarly enjoyed the characters.[39][45][49] NME's Cryer felt their personalities invited the player to return to them frequently.[38] Conversely, RPGFan's Argyros found some characters' stories too random, and lamented their lack of development.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Lawardorn, Damien (March 9, 2021). "Lake Wants to Make You Think About Your Life Choices with Its Quiet, Sincere Story". The Escapist. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Ahmed, Emad (September 13, 2021). "Lake review – a simple story in the shoes of a postal worker offers a rewarding journey". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Mattsson, Peter (December 6, 2021). "Review for Lake". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Van Allen, Eric (May 3, 2021). "Lake builds on the simple beauty of delivering mail around a lake". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Hookshot Media. Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Argyros, Caitlin (September 7, 2021). "Lake Review". RPGFan. Emerald Shield Media. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Hart, Aimee (September 6, 2021). "All of the Lake romance options". Gayming Magazine. Gray Jones Media. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Ackroyd, Luke (January 11, 2022). "Lake: Every Achievement And How To Unlock Them". TheGamer. Valnet. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Buitenhuis, Maxime (May 15, 2022). "'Lake is vooral een game waarin je de ontspanning op kunt zoeken'" ['Lake is primarily a game in which you can relax']. Gamer.nl (in Dutch). Reshift. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Nagel, Dylan (June 28, 2021). Lake: Welcome to Providence Oaks. LudoNarraCon: Gamious. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c Van Immerzeel, Jonathan (May 10, 2022). "Creating Landscape and Lighting for Narrative-Adventure Game Lake". 80 Level. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Game Rant. Valnet. Archivedfrom the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ "Lake wants to be a calming presence in a chaotic world". Edge. Future plc. January 27, 2021. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Good, Nolan (May 5, 2021). "How Did Game Designers From the Netherlands Capture the Look and Feel of Small Town Oregon Better Than Any Other Video Game?". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c Wald, Heather (July 15, 2021). "Lake trades stress for tranquility by offering you a new role as a mail carrier". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ USgamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the originalon July 15, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Cress, Laura (November 22, 2018). "AdventureX 2018 round-up: Part 2". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on September 5, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- Hookshot Media. Archivedfrom the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ "Demo round-up for Steam Next Fest". Adventure Gamers. June 16, 2021. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Kerr, Chris (June 15, 2021). "Try Sable, Lake, and more during the ID@Xbox Summer Game Fest Demo event". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah (June 13, 2021). "Wholesome Direct: Everything Announced, Including Lake Release Date, Skatebird Accessibility – Summer of Gaming". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- Kotaku Australia. Pedestrian. Archivedfrom the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- Kotaku Australia. Pedestrian. Archivedfrom the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- Hookshot Media. Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- Fandom, Inc. Archivedfrom the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (April 4, 2022). "Lake coming to PS5, PS4 on April 8". Gematsu. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Sinha, Ravi (April 5, 2022). "Lake Releases for PS4 and PS5 on April 8th". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ "Lake Out Today". Perp Games. April 8, 2022. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Miller, Matt (September 6, 2021). "Get Away From It All With Lake". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Kennedy, Victoria (June 8, 2023). "Cosy postal narrative adventure Lake getting festive DLC". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ LeBlanc, Wesley (October 17, 2023). "Lake's Holiday Themed Season's Greetings DLC Hits The Game Next Month". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Sheehan, Gavin (July 18, 2023). "Lake: Season's Greeting Shows Off The Town Under Blanketed Snow". Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Romano, Sal (February 8, 2024). "Lake coming to Switch on February 15". Gematsu. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Fandom, Inc. Archivedfrom the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Lake Reviews". OpenCritic. September 5, 2021. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Handley, Zoey (September 5, 2021). "Review: Lake". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Leclercq, Pauline (January 12, 2022). "Lake : la nouvelle perle du Xbox Game Pass ?" [Lake: the new pearl of the Xbox Game Pass?]. Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Cryer, Hirun (August 31, 2021). "Lake review: a compelling and captivating narrative tale". NME. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Hookshot Media. Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Barducci, Gabriele (September 1, 2021). "Lake – Recensione" [Lake – Review]. The Games Machine (in Italian). Aktia srl. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d MacDonald, Keza (September 2, 2021). "Lake review – a small-town drama about delivering post in a picturesque place". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Hart, Aimee (September 1, 2021). "Lake perfectly captures the idyllic town – and the hellscape it can be for queer people". Gayming Magazine. Gray Jones Media. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Parkin, Simon (December 12, 2021). "The Best Video Games of 2021". The New Yorker. Advance Publications. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Dinsdale, Ryan (February 8, 2022). "Gayming Awards 2022 Nominations Announced". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Benfell, Grace (January 26, 2022). "Lake Borrows From a Well-Worn Tapestry Only to Let It Fray". Paste. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Kotaku Australia. Pedestrian. Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Jimenez, Jorge (June 13, 2021). "Lake, the mail carrier and mid-life crisis sim, finally gets a release date". PC Gamer. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Serino, Francesco (September 5, 2021). "Lake, la recensione del gioco che ci invita a rallentare..." [Lake, the review of the game that invites us to slow down ...]. Multiplayer.it (in Italian). NetAddiction. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Wald, Heather (December 22, 2023). "Lake Season's Greetings is the perfect way to unwind and get into the holiday spirit". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.