Lake? A simple title for a simple game, but I mean that as positive as I could. When first having a look at Lake, it’s hard to judge it. Is Lake worth playing or not? What can you expect from such a game? Is it a mail delivery sim? Is it more of an interactive novel game? Lake was released on September 1, 2021, but it’s still worth checking into. We reviewed Lake for you so you can better understand the qualities and the weak points of the game.
Before we jump into the plot and mechanics of the game, let’s first cover the basics. Lake was developed by Gamious, from Haarlem, The Netherlands, and was published by Whitethorn Games (Apico, Onsen Master, Calico). The story takes place in 1986, and you find yourself in the shoes of a software developer who escapes the big city life to cover for your father as a mailman in a rural lake town.
You play as Meredith Weiss, who returns to her hometown after many years to discover that some things have changed and some things will always stay the same. Without giving away too much from the story, it’s apparent that your character is more or less carrying the whole company on her shoulders and that Meredith might be close to a Burnout.
The parents of Meredith plan to take a vacation so Meredith offers to take over her father’s job as a mailman in the peaceful town. Funnily enough, this kind of activity is more like a vacation in comparison to what she usually has to deal with, and she quickly learns the ropes of this type of work. But will she return to the city or end up staying in the lake town? Will she find love and abandon the software company? You’ll find that out if you play the Lake.
What’s it like to play Lake?
As Meredith enters the town, she’s briefly introduced to her new work as a mail delivery expert, and this also serves as the game’s tutorial. You’ll need to drive the mail truck around town and deliver whatever letters and parcels might have arrived at the post office. It sounds somewhat dull, but as much as Meredith enjoys this “simple” work, the player as well will soon feel calm and relaxed.
There’s no stress to be found in Lake. No timers run against you, and there are no enemies that try to kill you. You don’t have to rescue anyone, and you don’t have to save the world. You only need to fulfill your daily tasks and return home to rest and relax. But doesn’t that get boring quickly? Sounds more like a dull game, I’m sure, but I promise you it isn’t. It’s therapy.
Some people remember you from back in the day, and others are new acquaintances to Meredith. Not every delivery comes with interaction, but now and then, you get into an encounter, and while some are merely some lines of conversation, others lead to side-quests or might lead to romance options. Annoyingly enough, the big city boss calls even now and tries to give you tasks, and Meredith struggles to keep everyone happy. Clearly, she loves her development project, but she also needs time to rest after her postal work is done.
So what’s the verdict? Is Lake worth playing?
I love that this takes place in the eighties. I’m in love with Meredith, who is so relatable to the player. I love how stress-free the game is and how I can relax while playing Lake. It’s undoubtedly no Red Dead Redemption 2 as far as graphics go, but it has its own lovely style that works in its ways. The MSRP for Lake is about $19.99, which seems fair, and if you’re lucky, you could even grab it at a discount or play for free in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
What are you waiting for? If you’re still undecided about Lake have a look at the gameplay video that we recorded for you on the Xbox Series X. Deliver those letters and parcels. Hit the mail truck, switch on the radio and enjoy the tour. Get to know everyone and find out curious stories and make friends. Take your break at the local diner with coffee and cake, or play some retro games at the arcade, because why not? It’s your day. Enjoy Lake.
YouTube: Let’s Play – Lake [Gameplay, No Commentary]
Photo credit: The media shown is owned by Gamious and Whitethorn Games.
Editorial notice: Mail and postal professionals have challenging and essential jobs in reality, and the TechAcute team has a lot of respect for all such professionals. The game Lake depicts this profession in a way that suggests it’s a very easygoing activity and almost like a vacation for software developers, but this is not the reality. Have fun with Lake but don’t assume post office workers have an easy life.
