Walking Simulator - The Game

Walking can be a very relaxing activity if you do it in the right kind of setting, because it can also be annoying and stressful if you do it in a big city during rush hour. Hence, forest walks are usually very calming and enjoyable, but not everyone has a forest nearby they can go to. Thankfully, video games come to our rescue once again.

Walking Simulator - The Game is about as straightforward as its name, because it doesn’t feature any unusual elements or new gameplay mechanics to leave you in awe. In fact, you can start playing right away after executing the game, which is both handy and disappointing, mainly because the customization options are obviously lackluster when it comes to the gameplay experience.

To begin with, there are six environments to choose from, including forest, beach, the desert and an abandoned city. All of them are pretty gorgeous from a visual point of view, but they lack the personal touch or the randomness to be enjoyable every time. Hence, you can easily get bored after ten minutes of walking, mainly because there’s nothing of real interest around you.

To fight boredom, the game also includes a couple of simple objectives you can reach if you wish to do so. As such, you always have to search for something throughout the environment, whether it’s alien relics or a hotel in a nearby village. It’s a great way to keep yourself busy, but it’s not so much engaging as it is annoying after you realize that these objectives can be accomplished in a matter of minutes.

As for the graphics, this is probably the chapter that impresses the most about the game, because even though the detail is missing when it comes to level design, the special effects are quite a sight. Granted, the lighting can be a tad too annoying sometimes, but everything else looks gorgeous, especially if you have a graphics card that supports DirectX 12.

In the end, Walking Simulator - The Game obviously has a few annoyances that might cause minor problems, but the overall experience should be pretty pleasant. Even so, a bit more variety couldn’t hurt, especially when it comes to level design.