The Park - A creepy game with heartbreaking story

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything special about the horror game The Park made by Funcom. Even the story also seems standard: you will play as Lorraine who enters an abandoned amusement park in search of her missing child, Callum. But make no mistake because we will only experience this feeling at the beginning of the game; the further you explore the later the game will get spooky and tense!!

Exploration is the main theme carried by The Park, where your task is only to explore every corner of the amusement park and interact with various objects, whether in the form of fliers, newspapers or scattered documents to get clues. But the more information we get, the more the dark mystery that surrounds the amusement park is revealed, making our view of the “place filled with happiness” change 180 degrees. The dolls that initially look cute will feel scary, where their eyes now look like bloodthirsty creatures who are targeting their prey!! Things like that are able to present a thick feel of horror in The Park, without the need to present features such as jump scares or confrontations with terrible creatures – except for the main villain, The Boogeyman. That’s one of the unique things that this game has, where most of the terrible things actually come from our own minds.

In addition to exploring the game area, Lorraine can only scream calling Callum’s name, where this will produce different effects such as displaying visual clues, to a reply message (although less clear) from Callum himself. Although these clues are sometimes misleading – mainly because of the poor game system – they all contribute to the horror atmosphere in The Park. Oh, because the location is in an amusement park, gamers can also ride a variety of available rides, although sometimes danger can threaten your safety so you have to be careful.

One thing you will find throughout the game is: Lorraine will often talk to herself. What’s interesting is that instead of being bothered by all of his chatter, we are actually invited to explore the worries he experienced during the game. Starting from the anxiety that still feels “mild” at the beginning of the game, to the frustration that whacks because he is worried for his son’s safety, you can feel the anxiety he experiences until unconsciously, we will empathize with him. Gradually, an emotional connection between the player and the protagonist will be created, and this will only strengthen the tension that you experience while playing this game.

Maybe The Park is not a horror game that can be accepted by all gamers because what is presented is horror in quite a different nuance – more psychological horror. But if you are willing to open your mind and are not afraid to try something new, then The Park can provide a tense gaming experience, you know.

Overall Score: 7/10

Publisher: Funcom
Developer: Funcom
Genre: Survival Horror
Release: October 2015
Platform: PC

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