The Park

 PC
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 25
  3. Negative: 2 out of 25
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 3, 2015
    80
    A haunted walk through the smelling amusement park can surprise, entertaining and frightening at the same time. The park is ideal leisure for one autumn evening. [Issue#258]
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  2. Multiplayer.it
    Oct 29, 2015
    80
    The Park is far from perfect but an interesting experiment that doesn't rely on cheap scare jumps to bet on a different and intimate kind of fear.
  3. We Got This Covered
    Oct 28, 2015
    80
    The Park may be very short, but it certainly leaves an impact. Taking a trip to Atlantic Island Park will reward horror fans with an unsettling tale of emotional trauma adorned with a number of well-orchestrated frights. As the game itself so ominously suggests, you should turn off the lights, plug in some headphones, and enjoy the ride.
  5. Gamer.no
    Oct 27, 2015
    80
    Though a little unfocused, The Park manages to deliver a surprisingly personal and powerful story. Scary at times, the real horror comes not from monsters or figments of the imagination, but from that which strikes much closer to home.
  6. Dealspwn
    Oct 27, 2015
    80
    While it may be short and lack replayability, Funcom have delivered a well-crafted and finely tuned psychological experience with The Park. The exceptional audio design helps to build a chilling and tense ambiance that will delight fans of The Secret World, while even newcomers can enjoy the chilling tale of one mother’s search for her son. A true psychological thriller that you'll want to play with the headphones on and the lights off.
  7. Ragequit.gr
    Oct 28, 2015
    78
    The Park offers a solid, genuinely unnerving psychological horror experience, akin to watching a well crafted thriller. Whilst it does not break new ground narratively, it will please genre fans.
  8. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Dec 9, 2015
    75
    The Park runs on standard-but-efficient horror fuel: whispering sounds and child’s cries, all-enveloping darkness and creaking of abandoned yet living park rides. Hansel and Gretel’s story, intermixed with deeply personal horrors of maternity. [Issue#204, p.85]
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This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Dec 7, 2015
    It’s a short journey but not eventful enough for a repeat trip.

Awards & Rankings

94
#94 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
68
#68 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 87 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 87
  3. Negative: 27 out of 87
  1. Dejakritz
    Oct 27, 2015
    4
    The Park relies heavily on story. It does a good job of building mystery and has some good jump scares. But everything is overshadowed by aThe Park relies heavily on story. It does a good job of building mystery and has some good jump scares. But everything is overshadowed by a sudden, arbitrary end which renders your formerly interesting journey meaningless.… Full Review »
  2. Mokrag
    Oct 29, 2015
    6
    I wish I had a lot to say about this game, but it's not really a game.
    There's no fail state, there's no choice, there's no real player    I wish I had a lot to say about this game, but it's not really a game.
    There's no fail state, there's no choice, there's no real player interaction.
    This game would be the exact same game without players, with just automated walking.
    It's a walking simulator, and not a very good one. Let me tell you why.

    I'm a long time TSW player and loved the previous takes on adventure games from Funcom so I was actually "hyped" about this. I guess that in part my expectations were what killed this product for me.

    So, as you start the game you are given an objective: grab that brat and take him back. No backstory, no character introduction at all. The kid was crying about his toy and then just runs (supposedly) into a closed park.
    As one enters the park, the first "this is going to be awkward" alert rang. An earthquake or similar, a complete change of environment and the main character reacted by... oh wait! The main character didn't react at all. Kinda weird for a "narrative" story in my opinion, but sure, I'll take it, after all there's a small, fast commentary about it at the top of the stairs (and that's all).

    The "shout" mechanic is completely useless. That is supposed to be the mechanic that gives you the correct direction and can highlight intractable items, but it's completely unneeded since there is Zero alternative routes. You follow the path and that's it. Hidden objects (pages with lore) are badly hidden and some of them (the hand written ones) are completely impossible to read on lower spec. configurations.

    By the way, let me say that this is probably one of the worst optimized walking simulators I had the displeasure to submit my rig to.

    Have you player The Secret World extensively and were interested by it's lore/story? Then you might find some of all this interesting. If you haven't, then just forget it. There's nothing for you here.

    The main character is completely impersonal. The shouts reveal a complete different emotion from all the rest of the voice acting (voice acting is great tho.) The scared lady giggles and laughs about some of her thoughts and newspaper pages she finds while looking for her lost kid with shouts that transmit desperation. It's just too bipolar to be believable.

    Want a mystery? Not here. The plot (if you can call it that) is obvious from the start.

    The main mechanic: Walk to a park ride. Enter the ride. Spend a few minutes locked down to your sit (sometimes facing nothing but other sit) with your camera locked on a 90º angle of freedom while "scary" stuff happen. I say "scary" because without freedom to move, look at, interact with anything, the stuff thrown at you can't be really scary.

    The last part of the game consists in going through the same rooms again and again... and again.. and again (with slightly different assets thrown at each scene). You have a complete notion that nothing can hurt you and "lore" objects start repeating. Dull!

    Looks pretty, if your computer can handle it without bursting into fire and if you're a TSW lore fan this will give you a happy nerd moment at some points. The feeling doesn't stay with you for a long time tho, since the dull move-to-another-ride will be at the next corner.

    Oh, there is a couple of jump-scares. Jump-scares that feel like they were done by a first timer indie dev.
    As lame and predictable as they could be.

    Also, a small hint for Funcom's future walking simulators (I hope they drop the idea of walking simulator and go full adventure game, but here's the hint nontheless): Don't break immersion on a story that has nothing to it except the immersion, with huge MMO looking load screens. That last ride entrance was awkward. Not that I was very immersed in the game at the point, since the character doesn't allow that very easily, but that load screen got awarded with a facepalm.

    The best thing about this game has to be the sound. The sound engineering gave this game 98% of it's feeling. It's not innovative at all, but it's well done and sounds great.

    At the end, I congratulated me for being able to spend almost 2h in this game, watching paint dry on a very bland and dull painting.

    Want a good Part horror story? Try the MMO.
    This one doesn't has any value. TBH I think the The Secret World costume set and items are more valuable than this game.    … Full Review »
  3. Zer0TheHer0
    Nov 14, 2015
    1
    could be a decent game, but the lack of keyboard binding options makes it absolutely unplayable. the lack of rebinding options is absolutelycould be a decent game, but the lack of keyboard binding options makes it absolutely unplayable. the lack of rebinding options is absolutely lazy and something that is not to be tolerated in this time and age
    also the bonuses given to the secret world players make that game now a pay to win and it's unacceptable    … Full Review »
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