EDENGATE: The Edge of Life – Review

Our Score: 6/10

Created in the midst of the worldwide epidemic, Edengate: The Edge of Life is an exploratory journey through the human experience of fear, loneliness, loss, and ultimately, hope. Mia Lorenson, a talented young scientist, finds herself at an abandoned hospital with more questions than answers. Where did she go? To paraphrase, what the heck happened to this planet?

Back from the Edge

You play as Mia Lorenson, who wakes up in a hospital without memory of who she is or how she got there. However, the absence of life around you quickly overpowers your forgetfulness. Being all by yourself forces you to investigate not only your own identity but also the state of the world you formerly knew. Edengate: The Edge of Life, a game based on COVID-19, has an incredibly dull opening sequence.

Edengate: The Edge of Life features no adversaries. There are riddles, but you shouldn’t expect to be challenged by them. In other words, you’re left with an adventure game whose focus is on storytelling. Beginning at a hospital, you’ll explore a variety of locations; some scenes may provide hints about your identity and the events that have transpired so far, but you’ll need to find and examine other objects and documents to get the full picture.

Despite its length, Edengate: The Edge of Life never drags. It’s a linear journey that, because it doesn’t have any really annoying moments, is great fun to play if you want to relax while trying to solve a mystery. As for atmosphere, it’s not bad; you get a sense of being completely isolated in its universe and on edge about what might be waiting for you around the next bend.

Too Scared to Commit

This isn’t a scary game, despite the fact that it does manage to build up some low-level suspense. Neither bodies nor blood are depicted. The game’s disturbing atmosphere is achieved through isolation more than its two mild jump scares. It succeeds in that regard, but it quickly becomes tedious as you realise there are no real threats to avoid.

These so-called “actions” are, in reality, quite elementary and sequential riddles of the natural world. Those tendrils can be pushed back with the help of lighting, as indicated before. If you need to jump over an obstacle, you may need to shift trash cans or cabinets. When you grab a trolley or other object you need to move, a spectral outline appears to show you where to put it, making the process as painless as possible. This is just one example of how EDENGATE: The Edge of Life goes above and beyond to make these moments as easy as possible.

The story is told nearly entirely through still photos, with an audio log providing background. They go off when you touch specific steaming-looking objects. This stuff won’t need to be dug out and thrown away. They are all strategically positioned throughout the game’s linear progression. These vignettes are all flashbacks to various times in Mia’s life, from relatively recent times to when she was a youngster.

Final Verdict

Edengate: The Edge of Life is a linear walking simulator that has potential but disappoints. It nails the feeling of isolation but besides that, it falters on most fronts. There is potential but sadly, never delivers.