We Stay Behind seems to be an interactive narrative from what I’ve gleaned from the demo. You play the role of a reporter investigating a small town that is under imminent threat of being completely destroyed by a falling asteroid. Some of the townspeople have chosen to stay despite the danger and it’s your job to investigate why.
The game starts off feeling like a very calm and wholesome interactive narrative but as you talk to the townsfolk that feeling starts to change into something else entirely. There’s this constant eerie undertone with hints at something more sinister lurking in the shadows. It honestly gave me the same uneasy feeling that something was wrong with the town like in the show Twin Peaks.
You learn about a young woman who disappeared under very mysterious circumstances. The rumor was that she was investigating what she believed to be a monstrous creature living in the woods. There seems to be something off with the town and nobody seems to be willing to talk about it.
As you interview each of the townsfolk, you finally meet one that seems to be more honest about what is going on with the town. They mention the constant headaches and nightmares which you also seem to suffer from after arriving at the town. The person seems to be under extreme stress and fear of something unmentioned and the interview ends abruptly after an angry outburst.
After you go to sleep, you awaken to the sound of a massive explosion and you find that person’s house is now completely engulfed in flames. What a cliffhanger to the demo! There’s so many unanswered questions and we’re only left with the feeling that something is completely wrong with the town and the people living in it.
As for the game itself, it probably will not appeal to a lot of people as it’s essentially an interactive narrative and the narrative is delivered mostly through text. There’s going to be a lot of reading. It’s possible voice acted lines of dialogue will be added but I couldn’t tell from the demo. As for the narrative, it’s definitely a slow build but by the end of the demo I was left with feelings of mystery, intrigue, and possibly something sinister lurking in the shadows.
Additional Info
Steam Store Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1142570/We_Stay_Behind/
Review Score: N/A
Developer: Backwoods Entertainment, Application Systems Heidelberg
Publisher: Application Systems Heidelberg
Release Date: To be announced
MSRP: To be announced
I received a key from the publisher. Thanks ASH!
Time spent: 2.3 hours
Achievement Score: N/A
Ducky Obrien 