The Town of Light Review- A Different Type of Horror

Developer: LKA.it

Publishers: LKA, Wired Production, THQ Nordic

Release date: June 6, 2017

Available on: PC, PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One

Horror games can come in many forms, ranging from the blood and gore of games like The Evil Within and Resident Evil VII to the more psychologically twisted visions of Silent Hill 2. For most, horror games evoke plenty of blood and violence, whether you can protect yourself with a shotgun or need to run and hide as in Outlast. Horror means death, both yours and those trying to kill you. But there is another type of horror, one conjured from creepy atmosphere and that sends a chill up your spine. Films like The Orphanage and Jacob’s Ladder, while conveying some violence, get their horror across more through creepy atmosphere and disturbing imagery. And that combination of atmosphere and imagery can be even more effective when things are inspired by true events. Horror films and games can show us some nasty stuff, but human history is filled with plenty of truly horrific stuff.

And that brings us to the game from developer LKA.it, The Town of Light.

The Town of Light may take place in the familiar horror setting of an asylum, but this is not your typical horror fare. For one, the asylum in question is a real world place, specifically the Volterra Psychiatric Asylum, located in Tuscany, Italy. The asylum first opened in 1888 and was closed in the late 1970s after decades of abuse and mistreatment of the mentally ill. To be fair, the doctors that treated the patients there worked with the misguided teachings of late 19th Century and early to mid 20th Century thinking on mental health. Things like electroshock therapy, strapping patients to their beds, and the use of lobotomies were commonplace. Being committed to an asylum in this time period was tantamount to a death sentence, with the inmates subjected to often hellish conditions. And it is into this nightmare scenario that the protagonist of The Town of Light is thrust.

The game follows Renee, a 16 year old girl suffering from depression and other forms of mental illness, who is committed to Volterra. What follows is a nightmarish journey through hallucinations, bondage, sexual assault, and misguided treatments. The game does not shy away from unpleasant imagery, conveyed both through narration and stylized cut scenes, some which are animated sketches and others in black and white where the other people resemble more distorted doll like figures than actual people. We see how basic human rights are stripped and taken away, with inmates being locked in darkness and even cut off from contact from their families. This is interspersed with you as the player in first person moving through the modern ruins of Volterra. Along the way you need to find letters, files, and pieces of Renee’s diary. And a couple of creepy dolls.

Gameplay is minimal. Outside of movement, you’ll press a button to interact with doors or switches or to pick up and examine items. Hitting the touchpad on the PS4 controller will give you hints on where to go next, should you get confused or lost in wanderings. There is no HUD or map, with the only maps to the place tacked up on the wall (locations are numbered and you can zoom in to help find your way). There is one puzzle of sorts that requires you to do a specific set of actions in order to advance in an area, but it’s nothing that will tax you. Gameplay is not the primary focus here, however. The narrative storytelling and the atmosphere is the main draw here, and while the story can be very involving and even heart wrenching in spots, it can also be a bit uneven due to Renee’s madness making her not the most reliable narrator. This can lead to things feeling disjointed and can have the player feeling some confusion (of course, you could argue that’s intentional, as Renee herself feels disjointed and confused).

Comparisons to walking simulators like Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter are bound to be made, and it is a fair assessment of the game. But it would be a mistake to dismiss The Town of Light as just a walking simulator. Uncovering the clues as you make your way through the asylum and learning what happened to Renee makes for an engaging game experience, with a disturbing narrative working its way inside. There are no jump scares, but there are plenty of unsettling images, from brief memory flashes to the bizarre graffiti on the walls. This is not a feel good game by any means, and while Renee’s story is fictional, the stories that inspired it are true. And it’s that fact that makes the game more disturbing. It conveys that sense of hopelessness and madness fantastically, and for those who become engaged, the game may linger in your mind (and maybe with a chill on your neck) well after the credits roll. This is not a long game, and its 15 chapters can be completed in 5-7 hours, depending on how much you explore. There are sections where you make choices, and you can take multiple paths to the ending, which some may find sad and even heartbreaking.

The Town of Light is a game that doesn’t shy away from its difficult subject matter. It offers a commentary, as well as some historical information, on the state of mental health care in the early 20th Century (the game begins in 1938 and ends in 1944). Gameplay is minimal, but the narrative is the focus here, and delivered through good voice acting and plenty of disturbing imagery. This is not going to be a game for everybody, and the type of game it is (basically a walking simulator) and its morbid subject matter make it hard to recommend to all players. For those who do enjoy these type of games and want to undergo a different type of horror experience, this is a must play. The Town of Light does set itself apart with its subject matter, and visually delivers on enough creepy and disturbing imagery to rival the best horror titles. It’s a different type of horror, one that sticks with you long after the credits roll. And that alone makes this worth your time.