The Green Light
Developer: Waleedzo
Publisher: Waleedzo/Take IT Studio!
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (reviewed)
Release Date: Out Now
As I recalled in my preview of The Last Keeper a few months ago, I'll forever be in fear of lighthouses thanks to the Doctor Who story, The Horror Of Fang Rock. While The Green Light doesn't quite portray these tall, imposing buildings in the same claustrophobic and terrifying way, the lighthouse’s presence in the background throughout raised more than a few hairs on the back of my neck.
You're Fred, a downtrodden office worker, stuck toiling away late at night after the boss and everyone else has gone home. Unfortunately, just because the boss isn't there doesn't mean he can't dispense a bollocking or two via telephone, and to add to Fred's general glum demeanour, the power goes out, forcing him to wander the virtually-dark corridors in search of the means to get the lights back on. Plus he’s hallucinating. All in all, Fred’s not in the best of states.
Having discovered a radio, Fred is soon chatting to a mysterious voice with more than a hint of Jackie Earle Haley's Rorschach from 2009’s Watchmen. The voice tells Fred to free himself of his shackles, and helps him escape the depressing urban environment to a rustic area, albeit one just as dark as the city. From here, Fred journeys to the lighthouse, engaging in some light puzzling while being stalked by a frankly disturbing dummy.
The Green Light is a psychological horror. Within its short time, it crams in a fair amount of spooky gameplay and scenarios, adeptly using sound to increase the player's feeling of unease. It's not taxing by any means: puzzles are uncomplicated, and merely there to help facilitate you to the next stage. The backdrop of a frustrated white-collar worker is something many of us can identify with, which helps build the sense of despair. This, coupled with Fred's loneliness—there are no other characters beyond the voice at the end of the radio—creates a neat atmosphere that effectively carries The Green Light through its two-hour runtime.
While The Green Light's ending is ambiguous, I did see a line running through the game that tied the conclusion to its start. I won't spoil that here, and in any case, you might get a totally different interpretation. Gameplay-wise, it's easy to play, and there's a run option (more a trot, actually), but the game's let down a touch by a tight target box that sometimes makes you wonder whether you're supposed to pick up an item or not. It's a minor grievance, however. At its heart, The Green Light is a walking simulator, albeit one with plenty of atmosphere and a short, compact running time, the perfect distance to tell a story that’ll strike a chord with many.
CONCLUSION
As yet another short psychological horror, The Green Light is nothing groundbreaking, but well-designed and an enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
