The Gap tasks us with following a journey down the rabbit hole, as we delve through multiple realities in search of a cure for a degenerative disease affecting main character Joshua’s family. It’s a short but fascinating affair, utilising environmental clues and items meaningful to him to unlock more memories and realities. It can be a tad too obtuse at times, but when we’re in the flow, man, it’s incredibly engaging.
Gameplay takes the form of hunting around his apartment for said items, before we’re transported inside the memory associated with it. Here, we look for clues and hints as to how to unlock further memories, such as a phone passcode, or a which object we need to grab from one place or another. There’s no quest log or objective tracking though, and so we need to pay close attention to everything we find, and hope to piece the solutions together as we go.
As such, The Gap is definitely best played in one or two concurrent sittings if possible. I made the mistake of leaving it for a few days while I did other IRL activities over the weekend, and when I came back it took me a while to regroup with what I was doing. The areas aren’t so big as to give us a tonne of options, but when we’re presented with several different realities at once, a small nudge or hint system would not have gone amiss.
Again though, when we’re in the flow, there’s a lot to keep us hooked here. The story goes from one twist to the next, with futuristic nano-tech, medical breakthroughs, and family heartache all interwoven in an affectingly told story. The Gap is less than 6 hours long (providing you don’t get too stuck of course) but we were always interested to see what the next memory would present us.
One thing we did appreciate is the way character text is presented on screen, with different colours per person, and laid out clearly within the environment rather than just plain subtitles at the bottom of the screen. It offers the static scenes a bit of life, and makes it much easier to keep up with who is who.
The Gap is also a stunning looking game. Environments make the most of being static and condensed, packing the scenes with immense realisim and detail. Joshua’s apartment looks and feels lived in, while some of the other areas feel as vivid as the dream-like state they’re presented in. Clues are generally highlighted with little orbs too, so we know where to look within the photo-real locations.
Conclusion
The Gap is a stunning looking, well written, and engaging puzzle game, one that will have its hooks in within minutes and not let go. It can be a bit obtuse with the goals we’re looking to achieve (especially if your play sessions are spread out or get interrupted) but if you can keep in the zone, The Gap will reward you with a fantastic gaming experience.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
