The Last Door – Collector’s Edition

Developer: The Game Kitchen | Publisher: Phoenix Online Publishing | Release Date: 2014 | Genre: Indie / Adventure | Website: Official Website | Format: Digital Download

Horror aficionados will know that nothing good ever comes from cryptic letters sent by old friends that implore you to travel to their remote location. The protagonist of The Last Door, Jeremiah Devitt, does so anyway and predictably enough arrives at a suitably spooky manor. Discovering what happened to his old school friend and exploring the seemingly desolate manor is only the start of his adventure though, and before you can say “Lovecraftian” he is up to his neck in occult mysteries.

The Last Door is a point & click adventure set in Victorian England and while the low resolution visuals are initially a bit puzzling they definitely serve a purpose. Because the game is an occult themed horror title it is heavy on the suspense and the low res visuals manage to trigger the imagination in ways that many games that look way better fail to do. As your eyes adjust to the pixilated visuals your mind starts to fill in the gaps, so I guess having a vivid imagination and some familiarity with the works of H.P Lovecraft will make the game even more compelling. Initially the game felt like a nostalgic reminder of the early Sierra point & click titles to me, but the more I played the more I got sucked into the engrossing story and the less noticeable the low resolution visuals became.

The Last Door is split into four chapters and you can actually play the first three for free on the developer’s website. This is great for checking out if the game matches your taste, but if you find the game to be fun then I urge you to support the developers and purchase the collector’s edition. Not only will your support help fund future chapters in the series, but you will also play the definitive version of the game. The collector’s edition includes all four of the current chapters, some new scenes and puzzles, enhanced visuals, unlockable bonuses and best of all, remastered sound. The audio is easily my favorite part of the game so the remastered audio, featuring a full orchestral soundtrack is worth the price of admission alone.

The storyline obviously plays a big role in this adventure so I don’t really want to disclose anything that might spoil the experience. Each one of the chapters in the game is themed around a particular location and as Jeremiah you have to do some sleuthing to uncover its mysteries. In some chapters you are on your own while in others there are people to talk to, but the atmosphere remains superb throughout. Each chapter is only about an hour long, so you can comfortably complete one in one sitting and trust me, you will want to.

While there is no speech in The Last Door, the sound effects are top notch and the music terrific. The game gave me goosebumps on several occasions and I even had a few genuine frights where I nearly jumped out of my chair. This is mostly due to the excellent and immersive audio that really adds an extra layer of creepiness to each scene. Hearing the floorboards creak under Jeremiah’s boots or listening to strange noises coming from somewhere else in an abandoned building as you are exploring will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The game conforms to the traditional point & click mechanics so you click on objects to exam them or add them to your inventory. Instead of a list of verbs or icons the interface is streamlined so the cursor changes into a magnifying glass if held over something that can be examined or a hand if you can pick up or interact with it. Objects can be combined in your inventory or used on other objects in the gameworld. Most of the puzzles are fairly straightforward and logical, although a few does require some out of the box thinking. I was never stuck for too long though, and overall the pace of the game felt just right. There is a bit of backtracking while solving puzzles, but as you are mostly confined to a single location in each chapter you never have to walk too far. You can also speed up travel by double-clicking doorways instead of waiting for Jeremiah to walk through them.

I never played the original online version of the game, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this collector’s edition. The game uses its low resolution visuals very effectively and wandering around in the darkness with only a small lamp feels every bit as oppressive as it does in horror titles with way bigger budgets. It is hard to convey this with only screenshots though, as it is the overall atmosphere of the game that really makes it so chilling at times. The extras such as the Steam achievements and mini episodes that further flesh out the story are nice additions and I really think that this version offers a lot of value for money. There is a second season planned for this game which I am really looking forward to, and I think that The Game Kitchen will continue to keep the chills coming. If you are a fan of horror, classic point & click adventures or even just a great story then you should add The Last Door to your collection immediately.