Michelle, a young girl sporting vibrant blue hair, works in a convenience store in a dimly lit narrow street. Next door a record store can be found, with a newsagent and a greasy spoon diner opposite. A grand church casts a shadow over the vicinity, contrasted by the pale blue patisserie truck parked outside – renowned for its pan au chocolates. The chatty townsfolk are pleasant to one another, more or less, and should Michelle ever want to explore pastures new, the subway is conveniently located adjacent to her grimy shoebox apartment.
Alternatively, she could simply fall asleep. Michelle’s dreams are currently plagued by a twisted alternative demon world populated by the town’s inhabitants, now exhibiting horns, tattoos, forked tongues, and brightly coloured skin. They refer to Michelle as ‘Dead Girl’ and talk of a curse, with the head demon – The Duchess, a sultry devil-like entity – soon making themselves known. It’s up to our blue haired heroine to figure out how to break the curse, all the while wondering what’s real and trying to discover The Duchess’ identity. Their relationship is complex; the more Michelle wants to break free from the demon world, the more The Dutchess forces her to stay, with both going to extremes to fuel their destinies.
The boundaries between realms become blurred early, with the presence of glowing ghostly silhouettes emerging. By opening a ‘Third Eye’ Michelle can see into an alternative realm where enemies lurk and locations appear more dilapidated and twisted than in the real world, often coated in rust and filth. Using this view casts a ring around Michelle, revealing not just alternate routes and uncovering objects, but also the weak points of enemies – indicated with a heart.
While Sorry We’re Closed takes inspiration from classic horror games (Resident Evil, Parasite Eve, etc) with its fixed-position camera and limited ammo/health reserves, the shooting mechanics are more arcade-like with a first-person view. You’ll need to lure foes in close, but not too close, before taking them out quickly when stunned using 2-3 well aimed shots. Think along the lines of a typical boss battle in The House of the Dead, with the heart icons being weak points. Filling a gauge activates a ‘Heartbreaker’ shot, turning the screen neon pink before unleashing a devastating blow that’ll kill in one hit – a gimmick mostly reserved for boss battles.
An axe is the default weapon, also used for breaking wooden objects, and it isn’t long until a garishly coloured pistol and shotgun are added to the inventory. If there are lots of enemies around, ammo will always be bountiful. Water bottles act as health pick-ups, often found just before a boss fight or a combat-focused section. Alternatively, it’s possible to drink endlessly from sinks, providing water is clean. By finding and selling unique artefacts – with the “store” manned by a disembodied goat’s head – weapon damage, inventory capacity, and more can be increased.
There’s also a demonic hotel chef and a famished spirit to locate rancid foodstuffs for – with the possibility to muddle the two, resulting in failed sub-quests. Squishable bugs form the game’s other collectable, with the ending screen for each mission – based in such locations as an abandoned aquarium and a multifloored trap laden crypt – ranking your performance using a six-star rating. This alone goes a long way to establishing replay value, with the multiple dialogue choices assisting further. The runtime is around 6-7 hours, with a New Game+ mode unlocking upon completion, helping to see every possible ending.
Sorry We’re Closed is more narrative driven than most survival horror games, boasting an eccentric cast of reoccurring characters, many of which have ongoing quests such as lover’s tiffs – with eternal love being a central theme. While the stages are clear cut and self-contained, ending with a boss fight and featuring a different selection of puzzles, there’s a spot of downtime between them in which you’re either cast back to the real world, or left to mingle in The Duchess’s hotel, which even has dinnertime performances. There are a lot of chances here to divert the storyline, with even the save game operator (progress is saved using a telephone) sparking up long and meaningful conversations.
Visually, I had this pegged as a PS1 tribute initially, but it’s more in line with the PS2 era, only with smoother textures. Eerie lo-fi beats act as the soundtrack, save for boss battles which feature some quite obnoxious rap music, increasing the sense of hostility. It uses the fix camera system well, even opting for top-down views during chase sequences, although one area left me running around in circles as a corridor was obscured. Indeed, it’s essential to use the first-person view often to look around. You may even find a secret area slightly off screen. Puzzles are another focal point, changing between stages. The aquarium has not particularly taxing pipe twisting brain teasers, while later puzzles involve navigating two characters at once inside hazard-filled rooms. Restarts here are instant, but it does go against your death count.
Every element of Sorry We’re Closed meshes well, creating a unique and memorable experience. It’s able to rouse a sense of nostalgia for the classics of the genre, while also feeling considerably modern with its clever pacing and rich character development. And while it is quite sultry with its themes, it’s never too in your face. It may not have quite enough action and gore to satisfy fans of the modern Resident Evil entries, but those who prefer their horror adventures on the kookier side of things (think Deadly Premonition, Killer7, Shadows of the Damned, D4) will relish their time here.
à la mode games’ Sorry We’re Closed is out 6th March on consoles. Published by Akupara Games. A PC version launched Nov 2024.