With The Park, Funcom released a single-player horror adventure set in the universe of the MMORPG The Secret World. We took the horror trip.
As a father of three children, I can absolutely relate to the scenario underlying the game – it even happened to me once. During a visit to an amusement park, my daughter did not come out of the slide where I was waiting. My heart sank, and after a frantic search in the park, the child was finally found at the information desk. That day, I aged at least 10 years. Therefore, the story of The Park resonated with me particularly.
A Mysterious Amusement Park
Lorraine is a single mother who wanted to spend a nice day in the Atlantic Island Park amusement park with her son. On the way back to the car, the child remembers that he lost his teddy bear in the park. Although it is already closed, the gates are opened once again so the mother can search for the stuffed animal. However, the little boy slips through the gate as well and disappears. Quickly, they set out to find him. One realizes that something is not right in Atlantic City Park when it suddenly turns to night. In the darkness, it is hard to find the child, which is why they must call out for him repeatedly. This way, they receive hints about where the little boy is and whether there is an object nearby that can be examined.
The dim light and the mysterious, creepy sounds create an oppressive atmosphere as you explore the amusement park from a first-person perspective. Something rustles in the bushes! Quickly, you turn around… Nothing. Suddenly, stones fall from a rock. A glance upward reveals glowing red eyes… Is that a guy in a squirrel costume? An old newspaper article reveals that there were murders in the amusement park. The mascot went crazy and killed visitors with an ice pick! But all this shuddering won’t help; you must find your son.
Who is Lorraine?
During the walk through the park, you learn more about Lorraine, who apparently has psychological problems. Why else would she ride every attraction, even though it’s the middle of the night and she should be looking for her child?
The rides also reveal mysterious voices and suddenly appearing, gruesome creatures that resemble monsters from The Secret World. Are these just hallucinations? While searching for her son, one also repeatedly discovers excerpts from the diaries of the park’s founder Nathaniel Winter, who apparently was not the child-friendly, kind person who built an amusement park on a foggy island for the joy of all… He was searching for something. Something buried deep beneath the island…
The Park plays with perception and creates a creepy atmosphere. In the tunnel of stories, the tale of Hansel and Gretel is atmospherically recounted while you ride through the cave in a swan boat. But something is wrong with that fairy tale, and what lurks in the shadows?
Is it worth it?
The creepy adventure ends after about two hours and offers no replay value. The “surprise” at the end only surprises once, just like the suddenly appearing creatures. Asking 13 euros for this may be too much for some. On the other hand, a movie ticket that lasts only about two hours costs not much less…
Andreas says: Those who want to be properly scared can take a look at The Park. Thanks to Unreal Engine 4 and the great sound effects, the game creates a very good creepy atmosphere. However, the texts and voice acting are completely in English, so good language skills should be brought along to understand everything. The references to the MMORPG The Secret World are definitely present, but will only be noticed by those who know the MMO. The Park also works without knowledge of The Secret World.
