Disappointed + recommendations?

[Sukwendo]

I don't have a ton of experience with the walking sim genre, but after Martha Is Dead, I've come to see its potential to tell stories. MID did a great job building its world and creating genuine emotion. The scares were both impactful and meaningful. Afterwards, I went back to play the studio's previous game, The Town of Light, and while not as good as MID, it touched on similar themes in a different manner. While MID has an 80% on Steam, Lazarus has a 90%, so my expectations were fairly high going in. But early on, I could tell these games were not of the same caliber

 

Early scenes of Lazarus pan over a mutilated rabbit, so I figured shit would get real from there, but it never really takes off. The "monsters" they layer in would indeed be unsettling to encounter in real life, but they are certainly not the stuff of nightmares

 

They tease some legitimately interesting themes, but don't seem to know what to do with them. The Orwellian dystopia was very promising, but exists simply as a backdrop for the events. The eastern orthodox Christian mysticism was both ominous and interesting, but is much too vague to be anything other than convenient to the nebulous, tenuous plot. It's possible that those intimately familiar with eastern orthodox Christianity would have picked up on the significance of certain elements, but the game doesn't go out of its way to teach you about them. I did enjoy details here and there, however. There were a couple of points where I was able to draw contextual connections to imagery I encountered in Blasphemous, such as with Ivona's sword-pinned model or the barefoot statue at the Bran orphanage. The detailed shrines, illustrations of saints, and prayer alcoves were also enjoyable to look at. 

 

The voice acting left much to be desired. Most of the characters have flat, detached delivery, reminiscent of early PS1 survival horror games. I considered that they might lean into this and give a reason why characters were so blasé in their observations, but no such payoff is given. 

 

I do have to give props to Lazarus for its quality of life conventions. Chapter select and retained collectibles helped me enjoy my first play blind and experience the story organically. 

 

No hate to those who enjoy this game. I'd be thrilled if there's perhaps some grand significance I've overlooked. As it is, I went in looking for a compelling story, but didn't find it. I can't currently recommend this to anyone for anything other than padding trophies. The 90% on Steam confuses me. Games that more effectively use conventional religion (Christianity, in this case) include Blasphemous and Norco. 

 

On that note, I'm open to suggestions for other walking sims that folks feel are of remarkable quality. Feel free to share.