There’s nothing more intriguing or fascinating than the unknown. I’m always drawn to stories, games, movies and TV shows that think outside of the box and try to present existential scenarios. In fact, the biggest issue I have with life isn’t life itself, but not knowing what it’s all for or what comes after. That’s what keeps me up at night, outside of my sleep disorders and the fact that I’ve always felt more alive late at night.
When I first heard about the game, The Green Light, from solo developer, Waleedzo, I was intrigued. It sounded interesting, and right up my alley. That said, I didn’t read too much about it, because I didn’t want to ruin anything. Now, after playing through it this afternoon (because I was out of town when I first received it), I can share my thoughts on it. I’ll try to avoid spoilers, though, as always.
The Green Light is a first-person walking simulator slash psychological horror game. It will take you around an hour to complete, unless you get lost, but it’s impossible to leave an area if you’ve missed something. Needless to say, it’s quite linear and isn’t very long. Then again, it retails for only $5 USD.
Things begin as a middle-aged man named Fred sits at work, all alone, and talks about how he always sees a green light in his dreams. Stuck at a dead end job, with a boss who’s both an adulterer and an asshole, he feels discontent. It doesn’t help that the work is boring, and that it’s essentially staring at an old computer monitor with Excel open all day. That made me think that this game was set in the 90s, but maybe not based on a calendar found later on.
While he’s sitting at work in an empty office building that has seen better days, Fred experiences a power outage, which makes it so that he can’t work properly. Still, his boss demands productivity and berates him for being useless. Then, odd things begin to happen, like a green light coming in the windowed exit door, a man talking to Fred through a random handheld radio and strange visual hallucinations.
Over the course of the next hour, or so, players will guide this unhappy office worker to the source of the green light and unravel the existential mystery at its heart. Along the way, they’ll explore the quiet but unruly back alleys of a city, deal with hazards and blockades, solve light puzzles and explore environments like a house and a restaurant. There’s a little bit of backtracking, but not much.
Due to its nature, both in terms of gameplay and content, The Green Light will not be for everyone. It’s rough around the edges, short and slower paced, but that’s ok. It’s a good accomplishment for a solo developer, and I appreciated the subject matter it handled with care. There’s not much to it in terms of gameplay, but it’s more about the experience.
Presentation wise, this is a dated but fine experience. It features good lighting, occasionally disturbing imagery, somewhat detailed environments and a good soundtrack featuring an eerie song that fits well. The voice acting is solid, and it all comes together well for the type of game this is. It didn’t need the most stunning visuals or a super high budget to convey its story or message. The art design — especially at the end — stands out, as does the writing and message. That said, it’s definitely rough in areas, and feels dated. The only real issue I had, though, was getting the (ugly) hand icon to appear every time I wanted to grab an important item. It didn’t always cooperate.
At the end of the day, The Green Light is a decent game that tells an important story, containing a good message. The campaign’s narrative could be interpreted in different ways, but I appreciate the underlying themes. It’s far from the best game I’ve ever played, mechanically speaking, but it’s a solid walking simulator slash horror experience and one I enjoyed and respect. It wasn’t scary, but it was slightly unsettling. What I appreciated most, though, was that its puzzles weren’t too complex or obtuse.
This review is based on the XBOX Series X version of the game, which we were provided with.