Lake
Release Date: September 1, 2021
Adventure, TPP, cars, indie games, 80s, PS Plus Premium, PS Plus Extra, cozy game, singleplayer
Lake is an adventure game with an open world and a TPP view, set in the USA in the 1980s. As a woman named Meredith we travel around Providence Oaks, Oregon at the wheel of a car and deliver packages.
Lake is an adventure game with an open world, which, although it tells a story that raises important issues, is primarily intended to provide players with a bit of relaxation. The game was developed by the independent Dutch studio Gamious and published by Whitethorn Digital.
Plot
The action of Lake starts on September 1, 1986, when the main character of the game, a woman in her forties named Meredith, decides to take a break from making a career in the big city. The protagonist arrives in her hometown, Providence Oak, Oregon, to replace her father as a local courier for the next two weeks. This will allow her not only to look around and meet new people and problems, but also to refresh old friendships. How it goes on depends largely on our decisions.
Mechanics
In Lake, we observe the action from the third person perspective (TPP). When travelling (on foot or behind the wheel of a van) around Providence Oaks and enjoying the picturesque landscapes, we deliver packages and talk to the characters we meet. Among them we find both strangers and old friends of Meredith. Conversions allow us to make new acquaintances and refresh the old ones, as well as to get to know and get involved in solving the problems of the local community. From time to time we also make decisions that are never black and white. Interestingly, if we make a mistake at a given moment, soon afterwards the game gives us the opportunity to make corrections. This is all the more important because our choices determine which of the three ends of the story we will see.
Technical aspects
Lake has high quality, colourful graphics; the lush vegetation that grows on the sites visited is particularly notable. The graphics has been maintained in a cartoon style, which can evoke associations with selected animations of the Pixar studio.
September 6, 2021
Lake Review: Stillness in the Ordinary
Sometimes a break from your current reality is what you need to clear your mind and realize what’s important in life. Are you drawn to money, career, or are your friends and connecting with special people what you really yearn for?
Videos and Screens
[1:37] Lake Lake - Pet the Cat Update Trailer
[1:41] Lake Lake - Nintendo Switch Launch Trailer
Gamepressure Review
Lake
Sometimes a break from your current reality is what you need to clear your mind and realize what’s important in life. Are you drawn to money, career, or are your friends and connecting with special people what you really yearn for?
Lake Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows September 1, 2021
PlayStation 5 April 8, 2022
Xbox Series X/S September 1, 2021
Switch February 15, 2024
PlayStation 4 April 8, 2022
Xbox One September 1, 2021
Developer: Gamious
Publisher: Whitethorn Digital
Lake System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2 GHz / AMD FX-8350 4.0 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 760 / Radeon HD 7950 or better, 2 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended: Intel Core i5-7600 3.5 GHz / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 3.2 GHz, 16 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 970 / Radeon R9 390 or better, 2 GB SSD, Windows 10 64-bit
Game Expansions for Lake
Lake: Season's Greetings
Expansion
Adventure
November 15, 2023
A large expansion to Lake, an open-world third person adventure game. Lake: Season's Greetings stars Thomas Weiss, the father of Meredith, the protagonist of the base game. Working as a courier, he traverses Providence Oaks during winter, delivering Christmas packages.