Whilst the PC has long had hundreds of indie gems arrive each year that we could only wish for, recent years has seen many of those titles make use of the upgraded console hardware and finally make their way to our living rooms. 35MM is one such PC game that has had my interest piqued and with a release now arriving on Xbox One, we can finally see what the fuss is about.
35MM is a single-player first-person adventure that sets players down in a post-apocalyptic Russia, with events set after a global epidemic has destroyed much of the world’s population. The story follows two travellers who set out across the remaining wasteland on a long journey, with only memories of what life used to be left in sight. There is nothing to follow on from at the start, with you and your companion/friend standing outside a house that has long been abandoned and after a brief look around it’s time to head off.
One thing 35MM does incredibly well from the off is set the tone. From the opening steps within the vast land, things feel eerily silent, cold and lonely. 35MM comes across very much as a walking simulator, similar to the likes of What Remains of Edith Finch or Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture, albeit with more action and the typical heavy S.T.A.L.K.E.R vibe that radiates from any game set within a post-apocalyptic Russian setting.
Whilst many games within the walking simulator genre usually direct the player in a somewhat linear path, 35MM takes a rather bold approach by giving the player very little to go on early on, instead of leaving you to wander about and search for the next clue as to what you should be doing, where you should be going and why you should be doing any of it at all. Whether it’s buildings, vehicles or just discarded belongings, you’ll need to search thoroughly for any hint as to what has happened. Whilst the more open nature of it all is a welcome and somewhat refreshing experience, it is also quite easy to feel lost or overwhelmed when you don’t quite look in the right places, and there were numerous occasions in which I found myself heading to the internet for assurances I was heading the right way.
Of course with any story game, the pacing is quite important and it’s fair to say 35MM has nailed the pacing perfectly. With just enough snippets of information coming from the otherwise mostly silent companion that accompanies our protagonist throughout the game, there is enough aid in gaining knowledge of the characters themselves or the occasional tip on what we should be doing to ensure progression can move along at a reasonable pace. Sure things feel long and slow at some points, however, in a world in which humans are now a vastly diminished race thanks to the global epidemic; this is very much a feeling that is forced on the experience and one that is managed fantastically.
Breaking things up a little throughout the course of the game are some interesting set-pieces with a bear making a frightening appearance, a quick-time fistfight to contend with, moments of shooting and some other optional events that come into play at different moments, and given the quick transition to each, there is a great effort that has gone towards unpredictability within the game to keep everything fresh and unexpected. There are also 4 different endings to see which are dependent on certain actions being made at the right times, of course, I won’t spoil those here however it does make for a great reason to run through again once you’ve arrived at the end.
Away from the gameplay side of things and visually things feel both uniquely disappointing and impressive. The negatives come from the fact that 35MM isn’t a game that utilises the power of the consoles well with visuals looking more akin to the Xbox 360 era rather than anything designed for Xbox One or beyond, with character models looking a little chunky, akin to the likes of Condemned that was a launch title for the bygone era.
That said, the environmental design efforts aren’t bad and whilst it would be nice to see this adventure pushing better visuals given the power of the hardware it plays on, the overall experience still manages to capture the feeling of isolation, abandonment and the dark nature of the story really well. Even with the seemingly limited colour palette of greys, greens and browns that appear to make up the vast amount of scenery and general items within the game, the apocalyptic nature feels like it has been crafted perfectly.
On the side of audio 35MM brings with it a fantastic and sparing use of music, with some moments providing nothing but the rustling of your feet in the wilderness, whilst others see the sudden introduction of music and help create a perfect blend of tension and awareness, something that has really been done well throughout at multiple moments.
Conclusion
Overall, 35MM is a dark and gritty experience that tells the tale of abandonment and isolation perfectly. It doesn’t always showcase the best visuals when it comes to animal or human modelling but if you want a game that can set a believable and creepy tone whilst showcasing the worst possible scenario, and you have 4-5 hours spare, then this is a game that you should really be looking to add to your collection. What you will find here isn’t game-changing, but it is a fantastic adventure that is well worth the once over at least.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox One review code, using an Xbox Series S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
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