Sorry, We’re Closed Review - That’s Definitely Not a Hamster
As a classic Resident Evil fan, I get so excited when I see games that remind me of the original from the 90s. Developer à la mode games delivers a lovely bit of nostalgia for me with its psychological horror game Sorry, We’re Closed. But, despite how retro it looks, it also delivers a brilliantly modern experience.
Sorry, We’re Closed follows Michelle who wakes up one night to discover that she has been cursed by a powerful archdemon known as The Duchess. This lustful demon hopes to force Michelle to be with them for all eternity, but this protagonist has other plans. Thankfully, an upside of her curse is that she’s been given the power of a Third Eye which can be used to peer between worlds and uncover hidden secrets.
If you’re into nostalgia, Sorry, We’re Closed is full of it. With fixed camera angles and a fabulous retro art style, I fell in love with it the moment I set eyes on it. Add in the bits of neon plus the 3D and 2D character designs and this title is simply stunning from start to finish. And, what’s even more unique, is that you can switch seamlessly between third-person and first-person perspective to get a closer look at your surroundings.
Combat is definitely a little difficult to get used to at first as you find your footing switching between both POVs. You can only attack when you’re in first person so going up against one enemy at a time isn’t really much of a challenge, but when things get heated and you’ve got multiple enemies approaching from multiple angles, it gets a little trickier. Plus, you’re only able to do maximum damage when using Michelle’s third eye, revealing an enemy's weak points at the same time. And these weak points also move around as you do damage. It’s something you certainly have to practice in order to master. You’ll collect two guns in the demon world (as well as an axe) and even they feel like they have unique personalities. The handgun Hellhound, for example, growls like a dog every time you reload. It’s little details like this that really bring the game together.
As you explore the demon world you’ll also have to solve puzzles, many of which will utilize Michelle’s Third Eye ability. One puzzle, for example, has you leading a dog statue from one side of the room to the other, but the dog can only move when you have your Third Eye activated. None of these puzzles are too challenging, but were fun to figure out, sometimes using trial-and-error.
In between the demon world sequences where combat takes place, you’ll be able to wander around the area where Michelle lives and speak with some of her friends, neighbors, acquaintances and just plain weirdo strangers. Interacting with them is where you’ll get the bulk of the story and learn more about both the normal human world as well as the demon world. Some of the characters are a bit strange, like the shirtless tattoo-clad Darrell, who can be both cruel towards Michelle but at the same time weirdly romantic about his boyfriend Oakley.
These sections are also where you’ll trade in any items you picked up on your journey for the demon worlds equivalent of money called “yowzas” which, apart from being really fun to say, are very important. The more yowzas you collect the more upgrades you’ll be able to get for Michelle that can help in battles ahead. Some of the upgrades include being able to carry an extra water (to heal yourself) or more bullets for your weapons.
Something I loved most about Sorry, We’re Closed were its boss encounters. Not only because of each boss having its own song accompaniment, but because you never really know what to expect. Your goal is to do enough damage to be able to expose the boss’s weak points, just like with regular enemies, and then eventually use your super move to take out one of the hearts for good. Once you’ve eliminated every heart, it’s game over for the big bads.
Sorry, We’re Closed is something I couldn’t wait to play after I previewed the demo back in September. It ticks all the boxes for me in terms of gameplay, style, and story as I’m sure it will for many other players. Things feel a bit clunky with the controls at first and, after struggling about halfway through, I did have to change to easy difficulty so some players might find it to be quite difficult, but I didn’t mind because I wanted to see how the story played out. And there are so many accessibility options, no matter what level of player you are, I’m certain you’ll be able to enjoy it. à la mode games has delivered a wonderful, sexy and satisfying title with this one.
Breakdown
Game: Sorry, We’re Closed
Developer: à la Mode Games
Publisher: Akupara Games
Availability: PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Accessibility Options:
Ability to adjust aim mode
Ability to adjust run mode
Control hints (display control hints on screen when you gain new abilities or weapons)
Hold to fire option
Auto equip weapon (automatically equip a weapon when pressing L2 to enter first person)
Adjustable difficulty
Enemy lock on
Water of life (allows for a water bottle of healing to be in Michelle’s inventory at all times)
Weak point aim assist
Weak point stickiness
Adjustable camera sway
Toggle on/off typewriter effect for displaying dialogue
Adjustable first person FOV
Game Length: 5-7 hours (for one playthrough)
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Final Thoughts
Sorry, We’re Closed, without sugar coating it with a bunch of fancy words, is cool as heck. It’s steeped in nostalgia, super sexy, funny and interesting. Working out the trick with the controls will likely take most players a minute to get used to, and sometimes it can cause a bit of disorientation but, once you’re used to it, things go much smoother. With a cast of wonderful characters, a banger soundtrack and a short run time that encourages multiple playthroughs, fans of the genre, and otherwise, will certainly want to give this one a shot.