The Suicide of Rachel Foster
- September 9, 2020
- ONE-O-ONE GAMES
- 4h median play time
Powered by a dark and evocative narrative, The Suicide of Rachel Foster is compelling from start to finish
"The Suicide of Rachel Foster" is a first-person psychological thriller set in a remote mountain hotel. Players uncover the dark secrets of Rachel Foster's death through investigating her family's disturbing past, while communicating with a mysterious former FBI agent via radio. The game explores themes of guilt, redemption, and coming-of-age in a narrative-driven experience.
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully designed hotel environment that enhances the atmosphere.
- The sound design is exceptional, creating a tense and immersive experience that keeps players on edge.
- The story, while controversial, is engaging and keeps players invested in uncovering the mystery.
- The game romanticizes and trivializes serious issues such as grooming and pedophilia, failing to adequately condemn the actions of the adult characters.
- The pacing is slow, with unskippable dialogue that can become tedious and disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, leaving many plot points unresolved and failing to provide a sense of closure.
- story5,369 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of "The Suicide of Rachel Foster" is a deeply polarizing aspect of the game, with many players finding it both intriguing and problematic. While some appreciate its exploration of heavy themes such as grooming, suicide, and family trauma, others criticize it for romanticizing inappropriate relationships and failing to adequately address the consequences of its characters' actions. The narrative is often described as linear and predictable, with a strong atmospheric setting that enhances the storytelling, but many feel that the execution falls short, particularly in the latter parts of the game where the plot twists can feel forced or unearned. Overall, the story elicits a wide range of reactions, from admiration for its ambition to disappointment over its handling of sensitive topics.
“This game weaves its story wonderfully.”
“The story is engaging, the setting is creepy and it kinda gave me the chills.”
“The suicide of rachel foster is a game filled with emotion, fantastic storytelling, and great characters set within an environment that truly carries the tone of isolation.”
“This game is a story that pretty much just involves talking and walking around to find clues, leading to a sad and disappointing ending.”
“The story glorifies pedophilia, framing the relationship between a 48-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl as 'innocent love'.”
“The story is horrendous and fails to address the serious issues it presents, instead romanticizing a predatory relationship.”
- atmosphere995 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "The Suicide of Rachel Foster" is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, drawing strong comparisons to iconic settings like the Overlook Hotel from "The Shining." Players appreciate the game's detailed environmental design, atmospheric soundscapes, and the tension that builds throughout the experience, creating a sense of isolation and unease. However, some critiques highlight that while the atmosphere is compelling, the story and pacing can detract from the overall experience, leaving some players wanting more depth and resolution.
“The suicide of Rachel Foster is a first-person walking simulator with remarkable environmental details, great sound design, and an immersive atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is amazing, it creeps you out, haunts you.”
“The atmosphere this game creates is unsettling and puts you completely on edge.”
“The environments are bland and uninspired, failing to create the eerie atmosphere the game desperately needs.”
“The atmosphere was uninspiring and failed to create a sense of tension or unease.”
“This game was for sure something it was a decent atmosphere at first then the game took an extreme turn for the worst so bad that it just seemed unnecessary.”
- graphics836 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in "The Suicide of Rachel Foster" have received widespread praise for their stunning realism and attention to detail, contributing significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere. Many reviewers noted the beautiful environment and effective use of lighting, although some experienced technical issues such as poor optimization and limited graphical settings. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, they are often contrasted with criticisms of the game's narrative and gameplay mechanics.
“The graphics are amazing and the dark feel really puts you in the game.”
“The game's visuals, particularly the attention to detail in the environment and lighting effects, contribute to the immersive quality of the experience.”
“The graphics are absolutely impressive, even though there isn't that much interaction with the environment.”
“The graphics, while serviceable, aren't anything to write home about.”
“The first thing you'll notice about the game is the lack of graphical options beyond resolution, fullscreen on/off, and vsync on/off.”
“First thing I was hit with while trying to play were graphics settings problems; high graphics look worse than the low setting and epic graphics add horrible lag and fps (ended up playing on medium).”
- gameplay776 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Suicide of Rachel Foster" is primarily a walking simulator, characterized by clunky controls and a lack of engaging mechanics, which many players found tedious and linear. While the atmospheric design and sound contribute positively to the experience, the gameplay often feels underutilized, with many mechanics introduced only to be used briefly or not at all. Overall, the game is more focused on storytelling than interactive gameplay, which may appeal to fans of narrative-driven experiences but leaves those seeking more dynamic gameplay disappointed.
“It has some cool art direction, sound design, and an interesting variety of mechanics.”
“The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration and puzzle-solving, allowing players to uncover the story at their own pace.”
“The atmosphere, voice acting, and gameplay are all top tier.”
“The gameplay feels clunky, with awkward controls that make even simple tasks feel like a chore.”
“The gameplay ended up being very boring because all of the mechanics that are introduced are only used once and never again.”
“The gameplay is overly drawn-out due to the sheer size (and overall irrelevance) of the hotel you are in, and many of the 'objectives' are just to backtrack back and forth from the same two spots over and over.”
- emotional199 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "The Suicide of Rachel Foster" is highly divisive, with players experiencing a range of feelings from deep attachment to characters and heart-wrenching moments, to discomfort with its handling of sensitive topics like grooming and suicide. While some appreciate the game's ability to evoke strong emotions and provoke thought, others criticize the flat dialogue and lack of emotional depth in voice acting, leading to a mixed reception regarding its narrative impact. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster that challenges players with its dark themes, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its controversial subject matter.
“The overall emotional and thought-provoking effects were also something I appreciate at the end of a story.”
“What a heartbreaking journey this has been.”
“In my opinion, this game is the most emotional and moving work of art that I have ever witnessed and I would highly recommend this game to people who enjoy thoughtful storytelling.”
- music173 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a largely positive reception, with many players praising the beautiful soundtrack and its ability to enhance the atmosphere and storytelling. While some noted that the music can be minimal or occasionally repetitive, the overall sound design, including voice acting and ambient effects, contributes significantly to the immersive experience. However, a few users expressed disappointment with the lack of memorable tracks or impactful moments in the score.
“The music really highlights the story and a little dread as you explore every corner of the hotel in an attempt to uncover the mysteries of your forgotten childhood.”
“The atmosphere is super creepy and the music sent chills down my spine.”
“Perfect narrative, beautiful environments, breathtaking music.”
“Audio/music is below average.”
“There is no music in the game.”
“The music, especially some of the creepy OSTs near the end, winds up looping and it's a little too obvious where it pauses and then starts up again.”
- replayability69 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game "The Suicide of Rachel Foster" is criticized for its lack of replayability, with most players noting that it can be completed in just 2-3 hours and offers little incentive to revisit, aside from minor plot elements or achievements. Many reviewers express disappointment in the game's design, which includes non-skippable dialogue and a linear narrative, contributing to a consensus that replay value is virtually non-existent. Overall, while the atmosphere and writing are appreciated, the short playtime and limited content leave players feeling that the game lacks depth for repeated playthroughs.
“Atmosphere is what makes a game like this replayable.”
“I am thinking about playing again just to experience the hotel again, because the game itself doesn't leave much replay value.”
“Over all, I loved it, just not a lot of replay value.”
“It's very short - I finished it in three hours - and the replay value is exactly zero.”
“There is no replay value and the game lasts for a few hours.”
“After finishing the game and finding out 'the truth', I don't think the game will be replayable, at least for quite some time.”
- stability63 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- -2 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that disrupt gameplay and require replaying sections. While a few users experienced no issues, the majority found the game to be unreasonably buggy, affecting their overall enjoyment and immersion. Overall, the stability issues significantly detract from the experience, making it hard to recommend at full price.
“The game runs smoothly with no glitches or bugs.”
“I haven't encountered any glitches or bugs during my playthrough.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; everything runs seamlessly.”
“The game is very buggy and softlocks you randomly.”
“I can't believe how buggy and non user-friendly this game is.”
“It's buggy as hell, the dialogue is awkward and corny, and glaciers move faster than the plot.”
- optimization52 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 35 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, such as audio stuttering and black screens during cutscenes. While the graphics are praised for their quality and some users report smooth performance at lower settings, many others highlight that the game is poorly optimized, particularly for higher resolutions. Overall, the consensus suggests that despite its visual appeal, the game's technical performance is a major flaw.
“It is a very optimized game.”
“As far as graphics and optimization are concerned, the game is top notch with decent voice acting and amazing sound design.”
“Beautiful graphics and well optimized - had 60 fps with a 970.”
“Unfortunately, I couldn't play it as this game is not optimized at all.”
“Crappy performance is the game's biggest flaw in my opinion, but it's not so bad that the game warrants a negative review.”
“Extremely unoptimized graphics.”
- grinding50 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 64 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and monotonous, requiring players to invest significant time without meaningful engagement. Many reviewers note the lack of manual saving and the inability to skip lengthy dialogues, which further exacerbates the tedious experience. Overall, players feel that the gameplay becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge, detracting from the game's potential.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Even putting aside the ridiculous story and pointless ending, the gameplay is tedious and uninteresting.”
“The game lacks manual saving and it is tedious to replay between checkpoints since you can't skip any dialogue.”
“While initially interesting and potentially a great game in the making, the game quickly becomes tedious with roadblocked exploration that keeps the player on a linear path.”
- character development44 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the initial growth of characters like Nicole, while others criticize the abrupt and illogical conclusions that undermine earlier development. Many reviews highlight a disconnect between the promising start and the eventual execution, leading to feelings of disappointment and confusion, particularly regarding the ending. Overall, while there are moments of strong character development, they are often overshadowed by a lack of coherence and depth in the narrative.
“As someone who really enjoys story games, especially those that have a dark vibe and decent character development, this game was quite enjoyable. At times a bit confusing, but the story itself was really interesting to find out the end of and definitely surprised me.”
“Gripping story and amazing character development.”
“Nicole is sort of an unlikeable character in the beginning, but she has wonderful growth and character development as the game progresses.”
“What starts out as a promising and atmospheric mystery quickly descends into tone-deaf writing and nonsensical character development.”
“The character development and story building just became a kind of jumbled mess that didn't make sense for the ending, leaving me feeling unsettled and disappointed, rather than the feelings of empathy and sadness that I was expecting to experience.”
“Character development is weak, and I couldn't understand any of the other characters' rationalizations.”
- humor38 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding moments of genuine comedy amidst awkward dialogue and poor writing. While certain elements, like the slow movement speed and absurd item descriptions, elicit unintentional laughter, the overall execution of humor often falls flat, overshadowed by serious themes and inconsistent storytelling. Despite these shortcomings, some players appreciate the blend of light-hearted moments with darker topics, creating a unique comedic experience.
“It is a great composition of serious topics and light-hearted humor.”
“The story made no sense until the end, then they learned the truth and it was so funny.”
“Also, I found it hilarious that you can look at a lot of items and examine them closely... but they are useless packs of cigarettes.”
“It's not funny bad; it's not edgy, oh, you just can't handle the creative decisions bad.”
“It's not funny bad; it's not edgy, oh, you just can't handle the creative decisions bad.”
Critic Reviews
The Suicide of Rachel Foster
The Suicide of Rachel Foster builds a haunting hotel, but fills it with an insensitive story ill-equipped to deal with the issues it covers.
40%The Suicide of Rachel Foster | REVIEW
The Suicide of Rachel Foster tells a harrowing and emotionally driven tale that’ll keep players completely hooked in as they uncover its unsettling secrets. It’s worth noting that it does tackle some dark themes that might hit a little close to home throughout its three-hour runtime too, but it does so in a meaningful way that builds upon them to strengthen the story it is telling rather than feeling exploitative of people’s struggles. It’s good stuff. It does have some issues with the audio cutting out on occasions and I did feel slightly underwhelmed by the ending, but neither of these issues stop The Suicide of Rachel Foster from offering a deep and engaging mystery that fans of the genre should certainly pay attention to.
80%The Suicide of Rachel Foster review – Wine is fine, but whiskey’s quicker
Anyone who likes walking simulators or solid mysteries will likely be satisfied with The Suicide of Rachel Foster. It's got a well-written story and is set in a convincing location. It's also very easy to blow through in a single evening in lieu of watching a similar movie.
80%