Angels. Demons. They exist in countless, countless sources of media. Both have served as inspirations to some of the greatest pieces of art...and sources of the worst behaviors of humanity. The sides of good and evil struggle and collide time and time again. But did you know that they also love too? Can such love between demons and angels truly exist? This opens the broader question of what love means to all of us. What would you be willing to do for the one you love? If any of the following writing has tickled your fancy, then I have a game for you! A 2024 release that had a recent digital release to consoles in the Asia gaming scene: Sorry, We're Closed.

Sorry, We're Closed is the debut launch from à la mode games and published by Akupara Games in conjunction with Soft Source Publishing. The game features a unique blend of fixed-camera exploration and arcade-style shooting. My best explanation – imagine if the original Resident Evil had Time Crisis components added into the equation. Sorry, We're Closed also presents an eccentric story, where your choices matter, in this survival horror world. A world where you'll find yourself in the midst of conflict between angels and demons.

Disclaimer: I'll be avoiding discussing future points of the plot to avoid spoilers. If we do tread into spoiler territory, rest assured: I got you!

The World and Story

In Sorry, We're Closed, players will take on the role of Michelle. Michelle, a young woman in London, works at a convenience store. She’s also struggling from the aftermath of a break-up with her ex-girlfriend, Leslie.

Stuck in the rut of lost love, Michelle has a nightmare one evening of a demon. This demon, known as the Duchess, empathizes with Michelle's challenges and proposes that Michelle...simply devote herself to the Duchess instead. Simple choice, right? The following evening, Michelle's friend Robyn observes a scar on Michelle's forehead and informs Michelle that she's been cursed. And if Michelle doesn't take action within three days, she'll meet her end. Robyn, who we eventually learn is actually a demon, teaches Michelle how to open her Third Eye. This Third Eye (a direct result of the demon curse) allows Michelle to see into the world of demons, as well as the past. With her Third Eye and the help of Robyn (along with a few other individuals), Michelle must find a way to break the curse upon her. Or...if you're feeling frisky...accepting the "love" of the Duchess.

Truly, this is the extent to which I can dive into the story, solely because I believe that it offers the best experience. The additional caveat – your choices may change what happens in your own iteration of the story!

The Gameplay

As I noted earlier, Sorry, We're Closed harkens back to the age of the fixed-angle horror games. Think your OG Resident Evil, your Silent Hill, and your Parasite Eve (for a serious deep-cut into the genre). Beginning each night of the game, Michelle will be free to explore the local area of her neighborhood of London (which, fun fact, also has demons living in it). Every night features a new combat stage, which will require killing demons, solving puzzles, and completing boss fights. Each combat stage places players in a, well, less-than-savory area of London. Imagine Hackney...but more demons and blood.

The Combat

While in the combat stages, Michelle will need to utilize her Third Eye to solve puzzles. She'll need this power to be able to see into the past and locate items which can be the solutions of the puzzles impeding her progress. Michelle can also use her Third Eye in combat. When engaging in combat, the game will switch into first-person perspective. You won't be able to move, but you'll have a full 360 degree range of vision. And you'll need it to fend off the demons coming to attack you.

Michelle will use a variety of weapons to defend herself in each stage, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. There is also a unique element of combat. Demons will have weak spots when being observed with the Third Eye. These weaknesses, shaped like hearts, will trigger more damage and build up charges to the Heartbreaker – your main gun. The Heartbreaker will be vital to your survival and defeating the varied bosses you'll face! In fact – you could say the boss fights are unwinnable without this gun. Something to keep in mind!

In each of the combat stages, Michelle will be able to locate rare Artifacts. While useless to Michelle, they are highly sought after by a vendor, who will provide Michelle with Yowzas (the currency of demons). These Yowzas will allow Michelle to upgrade her weapons, her Third Eye abilities, and healing factors. There will be other items that Michelle locates in her environs that certain demons may want for other, sillier, purposes. However – what kind of game would this be if they just told you exactly what these demons needed.

Additional Features

Sorry, We're Closed also features a Time Attack Mode, which allows you to go back to race the clock in each of the combat stages and improve your scores in each area. I didn't end up exploring this, but it's there if you have that interest in seeing how gamer you are!

As with many games, there is also a New Game+ option, which will allow you to restart the game, keeping your upgrades and collectibles, as you venture into different paths of the story.

The Good

In full transparency, horror games are not my jam. However, this game...hit a different niche for me. While it's classified as a horror game, I didn't really fully get that sense, outside of the environments that Michelle found herself in. That being said – the fixed-angle horror game vibes were fun and really felt like I was back in the late 90's/early 2000's (yes, I'm old)…if I played these types of games back then. Additionally, the flip-flopping between third-person exploration and first-person combat, while at first a little frustrating, became more intuitive as I played and got used to the system.

The story was the biggest selling point for me. And it wasn't so much the story, but the motifs that they touched in telling the story. Some of the topics that we touched really pulled me in, like:

• What does love mean to you?
• What would you give up for the one you love? What if that sacrifice meant an unchangeable adjustment to your life?
• Where does love become an obsession?
• Is there a boundary between love and blind submission?
• Would you sell your soul for lost love? What about the soul of someone else...who relied on you for help?

Seriously – these are all fun conversations in my mind because they dig at what all humans need: connection to others around us. Yes, I am somewhat ignoring Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but that's besides the point.

While I didn't use any of them, Sorry, We're Closed features a wide swath of accessibility options, including remappable controls, aim assist, no-hold button toggles, logbook, infinite healing, as well as additional comfort options.

The Art and Music

The artistic style of Sorry, We're Closed, while very reminiscent of the old-school PlayStation graphics, really fits the vibes of the game and the story that the developers tell. C. Bedford, one half of à la mode games, served as creative director to the game and truly brought an otherworldly and haunting feel to the game with their art.

The music of this game was also amazing. The combat stage music, as well as the other environs, always fit what was going on on the screen. And the boss battle music. The boss battle music. Okumura Music Group (OMG) went hard on these hip-hop tracks for these sequences and all of them have ended up in various Spotify playlists that I have.

The Bad

I can truly say that my ONLY complaint to Sorry, We're Closed, is the somewhat unforgiving windows of hitting weak spots of enemies. This was especially during the boss fights, where each hit was vital. Now...you could say, "Sean, you're almost 40 – maybe your gamer reflexes are starting to circle the drain?" And I would say to that...maybe you're right.

The Overall

In summation, Sorry, We're Closed provides a unique retro-feel of survival horror while plumbing the deeper nature of love and the worlds of angels and demons. While not a genre that I historically, or even currently, gravitate towards, I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of the game and how much I enjoyed what I experienced!

If you're a fan of the old-school horror genre and want a unique and modern take of the style, I cannot recommend this enough!

Sorry, We're Closed is currently available for purchase now on PC (Steam) for $24.99 (currently on 25% discount), as well as PlayStation and Xbox.

Gamer Social Club was provided a free key for the purposes of this review. The reviewer played this on Playstation 5.