2024 video game
| Sorry We're Closed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | à la mode games |
| Publisher(s) | Akupara Games |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | 14 November 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure Survival |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Sorry We're Closed is a 2024 survival horror video game developed by à la mode games and published by Akupara Games for Microsoft Windows.
Gameplay
Sorry We're Closed is a single-player survival horror game with multiple endings. During exploration, the game is played from a third-person fixed camera perspective, switching to an immobile first-person perspective when the player draws a weapon.
Plot
Every day, Michelle (the player) wakes up to go to her dead-end job with a boss she is either ambivalent towards, or hates. You don’t actively participate in her job because it’s just a means to an end - to pay rent, to buy food, but most importantly, to engage in her community. Her day begins the moment the sun goes down, when she pulls down the shutters on the shop and prowls the streets of her London borough. After ending another day at her dead end job a demon called The Duchess curses Michelle to be their beloved that her liminal life begins, making her question what love really means to her.
Development
Sorry We're Closed is the debut title of Bournemouth-based à la mode games, a two-person indie developer composed of creative director C. Bedford and technical director Tom Bedford. The game began development in November 2020 as a side-project during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the developers beginning to work on Sorry We're Closed full-time in late 2022. An announcement trailer for the game was published on 20 October 2023.Sorry We're Closed was exhibited at PAX East in March 2024, with a demo for the game released during Steam Next Fest in June 2024. The game was released on the previously announced release date of 14 November 2024.
Reception
Reception| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 82% |
| OpenCritic | 91% recommend |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Eurogamer | 4/5 |
| GamesRadar+ | 4.5/5 |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5 |
| Shacknews | 7/10 |
| Bloody Disgusting | 4/5 |
| Siliconera | 8/10 |
| TheGamer | 4.5/5 |
| Metro | 4/5 |
| Slant Magazine | 3.5/5 |
| Vice | Recommended |
According to review aggregator Metacritic, Sorry We're Closed received "generally favorable" reviews, the eighth-highest score for a shooter video game in that year. The game was named as one of the best of 2024 by Eurogamer. Sorry We're Closed received praise for its narrative, characters and exploration mechanics, although some critics expressed criticism at the game's combat.
References
- ^ Romano, Sal (19 September 2024). "Sorry We're Closed launches November 14". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ "Sorry We're Closed - à la mode games" (Press release). Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Taylor-Kent, Oscar (14 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed review: "Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill can't match this neon-soaked survival horror for its sheer inventiveness"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
- ^ Webster, Hilton (14 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed Review - The Scariest Thing To Do Is Love". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 1 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
- Webster, Hilton (14 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed Review - The Scariest Thing To Do Is Love". TheGamer. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
- IGN Staff (20 October 2023). "Sorry We're Closed - Official Demo Trailer". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- Gonzalez, Elijah (26 March 2024). "The Best Games We Played At PAX East 2024". Paste. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- Caldwell, Brendan (5 June 2024). "I met a money-eating axe murderer in Sorry We're Closed and now so can you". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Sorry We're Closed Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- "Sorry We're Closed Reviews - OpenCritic". OpenCritic. 10 December 2024. Archived from the original on 5 January 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- Castle, Katharine (19 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed review - an enthralling, demonic love story in survival horror clothing". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- LeClair, Kyle (14 November 2024). "Review: Sorry We're Closed". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- White, Lucas (14 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed review: Oozing with dreadful charm". Shacknews. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- Boehm, Aaron (14 November 2024). "'Sorry We're Closed' Delivers an Old-School Experience Mixed With Fresh Twists (Review)". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- Bueno, Daniel (15 December 2024). "Review: Sorry We're Closed Confronts Love and Heartbreak Head On". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- "Sorry We're Closed review – the most romantic survival horror ever". Metro. 28 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- Scaife, Steven (15 November 2024). "'Sorry We're Closed' Review: Old-School Survival Horror with Style to Burn". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- Cichacki, Shaun (18 November 2024). "'Sorry We're Closed' Brings Dreamcast Vibes and Neon Lights Into the World of Horror (Review)". Vice. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- Bonthuys, Darryn (20 December 2024). "The Best Shooter Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- Tapsell, Chris (20 December 2024). "The 50 best games of 2024, ranked". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- Thorn, Ed (14 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed review: old school survival horror with plenty of heart". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- Sterling, James Stephanie (14 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed - It Must Be Love (Review)". The Jimquisition. Archived from the original on 24 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- Gonzalez, Elijah (22 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed Is A Perfect Breakup Recovery Simulator, Demons Included". Paste. Archived from the original on 30 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- Kelly, Charlie (15 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed Review – Heaven Sent". Checkpoint Gaming. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- Hashmi, Ali (15 November 2024). "Sorry We're Closed Review - Hellbound and Hellbent". Prima Games. Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.