The Gap

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 123 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
The Gap Game Cover
The Gap had the potential to tell an emotional and unique story, but instead features too much dry science and too little character development.
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In "The Gap," players assume the role of Joshua Hayes, a neuroscientist seeking a cure for his family's rare neurological disorder. By exploring parallel realities and uncovering memories, Joshua becomes embroiled in a corporate conspiracy related to an experimental neuroscientific program. The game features raw, minimalistic spaces and objects that serve as gateways to Joshua's past.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 123 reviews
story38 positive mentions
replayability2 negative mentions
  • The Gap features a beautifully written and emotionally engaging narrative that resonates deeply with players, often leaving them reflective and moved.
  • The game combines stunning visuals, excellent voice acting, and a compelling exploration of memory and emotional themes, making it a standout experience in the walking simulator genre.
  • Puzzles are well-integrated into the gameplay, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly complex, allowing players to enjoy the story while engaging with the mechanics.
  • Some players found the narrative disjointed and confusing, making it difficult to piece together the story and fully understand the character relationships.
  • The game may be emotionally draining for some, particularly those who are sensitive to themes of loss and mental illness, which could detract from the enjoyment.
  • A few puzzles were noted to be unclear or lacking in guidance, leading to moments of frustration where players felt the need to seek external help to progress.
  • story66 mentions

    The story of "The Gap" is a captivating and emotionally resonant journey that explores themes of love, loss, and memory through a non-linear narrative structure. Players piece together disjointed snippets of the protagonist's past, leading to a memorable conclusion that is both engaging and thought-provoking. While some found the story's complexity and reliance on environmental storytelling to be a highlight, others noted a lack of character development amidst the intriguing plot twists.

    • “After piecing together memories and snippets of time, you revisit the story through a linear timeline which puts the events in order and concludes the game in a very memorable way.”
    • “The story was amazing, the voice acting was great, and the concept of the story itself was fantastic as well.”
    • “The story is captivating and structured in such a way that all the secrets are revealed at a pace that keeps you immersed.”
    • “First, the story is told through disjointed snippets.”
    • “Second, the story is too close to real life.”
    • “Speaking of pace, the story is scattered through the world and it's up to you to decipher and complete the pieces that are told through visual elements and audio situations.”
  • graphics25 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning quality, detailed artwork, and unique art styles, particularly highlighted by the striking imagery of hands shaped by strings of ink. Players appreciate the pleasing, futuristic aesthetic and the overall visual presentation, which complements the solid narrative and quality voice acting. However, some reviews note that while the visuals are generally impressive, there are occasional mentions of basic puzzle design and minor disappointments in certain visual aspects.

    • “It has a pleasing aesthetic that feels futuristic and surreal.”
    • “Extraordinary graphics and art styles, especially that painting of hands shaped by strings of ink.”
    • “Visuals are stunning!”
    • “[Puzzle design is kind of basic, visuals are a bit disappointing]”
  • gameplay18 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by smooth mechanics and a compelling narrative that involves exploring fragmented memories to reconstruct identity, creating a satisfying and immersive experience. Players appreciate the mind-bending elements and the engaging story, making it highly recommended for fans of narrative-driven games. Overall, it offers a unique blend of dreamy exploration and mystery that captivates players for hours.

    • “The gameplay, which involves searching through his memories, is very compelling.”
    • “It has interesting mechanics of discovering the past.”
    • “From what I have seen so far, I can describe it as a dreamy, clue-finding, sci-fi mystery drama with inception-style mechanics where you jump between fragmented memories and try to reconstruct your lost identity.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    The game is described as an emotional roller coaster, beautifully written and capable of evoking strong feelings, often leaving players in tears. It effectively tackles mature themes within a modern science fiction context, delivering a deeply satisfying and impactful narrative. However, some critiques point to a lack of character development, suggesting that the emotional potential could have been further enhanced.

    • “This was so beautifully written, it almost made me cry at the end...”
    • “This game hits hard emotionally, covering mature topics extremely well while maintaining a solid approach to science fiction in the modern day!”
    • “And a heartbreaking but impressive story that reminds us to mind the gap.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is praised for its ambient quality, enhancing the immersive experience without being intrusive. Reviewers highlight the well-executed soundtrack and narration, which contribute to the feeling of traveling through different times and places. Overall, the audio elements are considered a significant strength, complementing the game's visuals and storytelling.

    • “Everything from the places you visit to the smallest details, like UIs on mirrors showing recent news and interfaces on hardware switching, upgrading with each further reality you visit, the ambient music always feels right, but does not interrupt you as you slowly assemble it back together. Everything makes you really think that you're going into different places in time.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Despite initial impressions suggesting low replayability, many players find themselves eager to replay the game immediately after finishing it, indicating a surprisingly engaging experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.

  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on laptops without any performance issues.

    • “The game runs smoothly on the laptop.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive and richly detailed worlds, showcasing a significant amount of thought and effort in their design.

    • “Amazingly atmospheric world(s) with so much thought and work put into the details.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the game "The Gap" had the potential for an emotional narrative, it ultimately falls short due to an overemphasis on scientific elements at the expense of meaningful character development.

    • “The gap had the potential to tell an emotional and unique story, but instead features too much dry science and too little character development.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

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