Edengate: The Edge of Life is a paid adventure experience from the HOOK team. This story-rich experience puts you in control of Mia Lorenson, a young scientist who finds herself with no memory. Starting in an abandoned hospital, you explore the desolate city of Edengate. 

With almost no people around and a mysterious phenomenon wrapping the city, Edengate: The Edge of Life turns into a psychological suspense experience, paired with quality graphics and even better quality audio. For a full premium game, however, it has a short playthrough, comparable to Imscared- A Pixelated Nightmare or What Remains of Edith Finch.

A compelling, puzzle-filled story

Gameplay-wise, Edengate: The Edge of Life balances adventure, suspense, and puzzle-solving, with each of these elements given time to shine. It’s worth noting, however, that this is more of a walking simulator instead of going the full Resident Evil Village route. There are no combat mechanics and the puzzles only require simple interaction with the environment, owing to its short playthrough length.

With those things said, it’s still a fun and immersive experience. As a game made during the pandemic, the emotions of anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty are delivered flawlessly in this work. There are jump scares, but it is achieved through good use of the environment and sound effects. This brings us to its next ace, the audio. It has a well-crafted soundtrack that helps drive different emotions across the story.

Aside from the limited interactions, lack of combat and material conflict, and the short playthrough, one divisive aspect of the game is its story. It is one of those games whose mystery extends toward being open-ended, leaving players with more questions. The existence of a single, vague ending doesn’t help, either. The end sequence is a mix of different cinematic shots, leaving the player to draw their own conclusions.

Indie suspense worth your buck

Edengate: The Edge of Life is an indie game that parallels what most people went through during the pandemic—extended to Lovecraftian levels. It has visuals and sound effects that easily match any other AAA game. Of course, it has its restrictions. First is its walking sim approach, which limits interactions. The second is in its story, which fails to wrap up conclusively. Still, it’s a must-try.