The Last Door Collectors Edition Review

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What makes up true horror? Is it blood, monsters, quick scares? Or maybe something entirely different? Indeed, The Last Door has gallons of blood splattered throughout the storyline, but it never relies upon it to scare the player. There are finer ways to do this, and this little adventure manages to hit all the right buttons as the story progresses. One thing well worth noting about this game is that it’s fully playable for free, with the exception of the latest (fourth, at the time of writing) episode. It’s funded by the community, so only those who back the game get immediate access to the newest episodes as they come out. The first four parts will make up the first season of the game, which means you’re in for a very enjoyable adventure without many loose ends and without having to spend a dime. Eventually.

The way this game delivers all the aspects of its story is masterful, to say the least. As you’ve probably noticed, it utilises pixelated 16-bit graphics that show us “just what we need to know“, to quote the developers. There is a surprising amount of fluff built upon this simplistic visual filter. Ranging from the gloomy introductory scene all the way to the absolutely terrifying dream sequences, The Last Door keeps you on your toes both despite and thanks to its graphics. It has a certain charm only few games have, and you can be sure you’ll be hooked right until the very end. The length of each episode varies from twenty minutes to a whole hour, but rest assured that you will never be bored or uninterested while playing.

The gameplay is fairly logical and the puzzles usually amount to combining objects and using them at the right place. Taking this realistic approach allows for much more fluid gameplay and better storyline pacing than the more prototypical point ‘n’ click games can offer. There were a couple of puzzles that felt a bit out of place, but nothing too serious. As I played through all four currently available chapters, I was never stuck for longer than five minutes. Every item and character fits in just right, without the game having to resort to over-explaining or ignoring anything. One thing I appreciated very much is the way episodes differ one from another. The first one plays out in a haunted manor style, with the main character collecting items and trying to find out what actually happened. I was very surprised to see a plethora of actual human characters entering the fray in the second episode. It’s this variety that makes you want to play and see what else might be in store for you. The tense darkness sequences will surely make everyone shudder and I can almost guarantee you’ll have a phobia of crows after playing The Last Door. Damn, those crows.

There is also a number of small touches that make everything about this game weirder. During the first episode, you’ll find a dying crow laying in the yard. With all the vigor of a true adventurer, you will pick the dying animal up, adamant in your quest of finding a use for every single item you get your paws on. However, before „using“ the bird, you’ll have to kill it. Thus, you combine a hammer with the crow to smack it over the head. It seems insignificant when put on paper, but things like this go a long way towards making a game that really nails the madness the protagonist will be delving in.

You will be controlling Jeremiah Devitt, with a few notable exceptions during the introductory sequences of each episode. His friend, Beechworth, has sent him a mysterious letter in which he gives him a clue about what’s going on. Following his gut, Devitt first travels to Beechworth’s house where he witnesses some really disturbing discoveries. During his travels, Devitt will go to numerous places in England, thus keeping the atmosphere deeply entrenched into what Lovecraft came up with a century ago. As I said, there is a certain vibe that tells you something’s off, but you’ll be hard pressed to define where it’s coming from. There will be a fair few twists along the way, too, so expect bad things to happen everywhere, at all times. This game makes use of some very interesting storytelling techniques, such as nightmares, flashbacks and similar tit-bits. It’s nothing we haven’t seen in modern games, but I have to admit I would have never expected them here. It all makes for a very fascinating and engaging story.

If you’re hoping for cheap scares and bloodthirsty monsters, The Last Door is definitely not what you’re looking for. This is the deeper kind of horror, one that stays with you when you go to sleep. It isn’t going to scare you as much as worry you about the main character. And again, you’re really going to hate the crows after this game. Have fun!

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