The Suicide of Rachel Foster can certainly deal with some intense topics through its roughly 3-4 hour length. Nicole, the main protagonist, a character you’ll get to know all too well, has lived with the knowledge that her father had an affair with a 16-year-old girl, a young woman who, with child, couldn’t take the pressure in her life and thus committed suicide. Or, at least, that is the official story. As Nicole heads out to the hotel owned by her family, as she is the sole owner since the passing of both her parents, she’ll uncover a mystery to the truth, even if she desperately doesn’t want to know it.
As is the case with other narrative-based games about family secrets, and exploring environments that are devoid of other people, it’s the narrative that will keep pushing you through and not the gameplay the game is using to navigate its storytelling. Sure, the hotel is creepy and some of the sound design is superb, but it’s the dialogue between Nicole and Irving, a FEMA agent tasked with aiding you on this journey that will keep your interest during this brief but solid experience. Shortly after inspecting the hotel to ensure it is good enough for her lawyer to start making arrangements to sell, Nicole becomes all too frustrated with the place, due to the bad memories it contains and attempts to leave, stopped due to her car keys mysteriously vanishing. Thankfully, she makes contact with Irving, who is there to provide assistance to her dilemma of being stuck at the hotel during an intense snowstorm, and also to keep her company, to keep her from being alone.
The dynamic between the two has some significant growth as Nicole is quite rude to Irving as the game starts. As she had never wanted to return to the hotel, mostly because of the memories of her dad and Rachel, the memories of what happened 10 years ago start to flood back and cause Nicole to become angry and upset that she’s had to return to a place she swore she would never return to. Her relationship with Irving changes and the two begin to work together, to help her get through this troubling time. I really enjoyed the phone calls, the conversations the two would have. Eventually, strange things start happening around the hotel, things that cause Nicole to wonder exactly what happened to Rachel and her dad, things that would eventually lead her to the truth. While some aspects of the path to that truth are a bit predictable, the game remains constantly enjoyable, with a story that satisfied greatly. Again, this is a game that is built for its story, not its gameplay, so think of it as a movie where you are simply controlling the camera to each scene.
As you explore the hotel, you’ll get various items to use, none of which are that impressive. You can use the flash of an old Polaroid for light, or a dynamo flashlight you have to keep pulling the trigger to have it barely light up, to a microphone that is used sparingly. There was a time before I had the microphone where I swear I was hearing a clinking sound, like one of those hanging mobiles. Turns out I wasn’t crazy and once I got the microphone, I was able to follow it to its source, something that created not just excitement, but a sense of dread as well. The game does have some horror feels in the atmosphere, but its more about how you yourself will take to its exploration or story sequences that will either make them work as intended or present you with a sense of boredom, walking around an empty hotel.
You’ll interact with some items, like cans, bottles, or paintings, but most of them feel like distractions meant to pad length than have those items reflect the lore or narrative of the story. Most of the time, you’ll get that fulfillment of them being useful when you can talk to Irving about certain things or discoveries you’ve made as you explore the hotel. While the hotel is large, it’s also a maze, with several rooms not having much to do with the story, but help with the atmosphere of what the game is trying to achieve. There are no monsters or ghosts, or crazy murderers stalking you, but rather Nicole’s own fears and insecurities, things, at least to myself, are subjects that terrify me far more than any physical or supernatural threat.
Slight spoilers during this next paragraph…
While I won’t spoil some of the bigger moments and some of the revelations that come to pass, the final moments of the game had me somewhat confused for a brief second, wondering how the game would wrap up the story. When I realized where I was, and what was directly to my left, I prayed the game wasn’t going to make me continue with what I knew it wanted from me. While you have a choice on how the game ends, I took the option that allowed me to click on something as I just couldn’t allow the game to continue without interrupting what was going on. The game dives into some very potent and disturbing scenes and this one was almost a bit too much.
The game is visually capable at creating a very creepy and satisfying experience as you explore the hotel, traveling through various passageways, uncovering secret areas that Nicole didn’t know about. Some of the movement and transitions to those passageways are met with a shaking camera that jitters around as the game performs a forced animation of her ducking and climbing through. This same shake is always present when you try to move side to side in some rooms. It’s not something you’ll experience constantly, but it’s jarring enough when it happens. I also had a few lines of dialogue not play during two phone calls that thankfully were not story crucial stuff, but otherwise, the game ran perfectly fine.
Kosha Engler, who has voiced a lot of games, not mention has appeared in several shows and movies, is solid here as Nicole, playing off of Christopher Ragland, as Irving, who each of really go a long way to make the story work, that the mystery remains engaging. The voicework and conversations between the two will keep you company through the game as you attempt to discover what really happened to Rachel, what secrets have remained in the hotel for the past decade, and what Nicole chooses to do with that knowledge. The Suicide of Rachel Foster is a game with some troubling topics, some uncomfortable moments that all contribute to a stellar narrative that remains every bit as satisfying to the end.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, the Canada Suicide Prevention Service is available 24/7 for voice and 4pm to 12am ET for text.
Connect with a responder now by calling toll-free number 1-833-456-4566
A review code for The Suicide of Rachel Foster was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review and played on an Xbox One X.
All screenshots were taken on an Xbox One X.