From À La Mode Games, Sorry We’re Closed is finally heading to consoles after taking the PC landscape by storm. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the game early and put it through its paces, but really I just wanted to see exactly what the Duchess had in store for me.
Sorry We’re Closed is a Literal Love Letter
Sorry We’re Closed is unique for a lot of reasons, but the immediate impression you should have is based entirely on its visual appeal. Not only is it a survival horror game with fixed camera angles, something akin to the original Resident Evil games on the PS1, but it’s full of vibrant, beautiful and colorful characters that are thrown against the drab, dreary and desolate environments. Considering the limitations of an art style locked in a retro graphic era, À La Mode Games has smashed it.
The story of Sorry We’re Closed is one rarely seen in gaming. A lovelorn protagonist desperate to get back with their ex, and can’t move on, even after three years. Throw in the battle of demons and angels, the rocky and complicated relationships of other angels and demons rebelling against the ‘rules’, and a curse on Michelle to become the object of the Duchess’ affections, and you have Sorry We’re Closed. It sounds kooky because it is, and yet, the game has something to say about life, obligation, fate and obviously love, and it does it in a particularly ‘horny’ manner.
Beyond the story is the game’s combat, another throwback to a nostalgia filled, much-missed era in gaming. You won’t be running and gunning your way through Sorry We’re Closed, quite the opposite. Having to stand in place and aim your weapon brings a tactical aspect to the game that you may not expect, and it is way too easy to get overwhelmed and crowded out of many situations.
Make sure to practice your aim a plenty, as the game fully turns into the old trope of an enemy having a weak point, with some simple, if not fun results. Snap your fingers, use your third eye, aim at the hearts and kill your enemy. It sounds simple, until it’s not.
For a debut title from a team of two developers, Sorry We’re Closed does more than you’d expect. Representation, throwback to a simpler time of gaming, snappy dialogue (if not full of cringe too) and a simple combat system that had me desperate for more. Throw in one of gaming’s most unique antagonists and a story that’ll keep you guessing, and you know you’re having a good time.
Sorry We’re Closed
Sorry We’re Closed is a nostalgic throwback to a simpler time in gaming, but with a modern twist. A story of angels and demons, good and evil, the grey area in between and what happens when it all collides, you’ll never quite see what’s coming next.
Summary
À La Mode Games have crafted a great indie experience here, and the transition to consoles from PC has been a successful one. With extra modes available, the experience is even bigger now, and with a unique premise and execution, Sorry We’re Closed is now just the beginning of a fruitful future for the studio. Don’t miss out on this, especially if you’re a survival horror fan!
HOURS PLAYED: 13
PLAYED ON: PS5
- It excels at executing the few, simple ideas, rather than stuffing it full of mediocre ones.
- Fans of PS1 era survival horror will have a real feast for their eyes, ears and fingers here.
- It tells a complex story in an easy way. The good guys aren't always good, and bad aren't always bad.
- Michelle, the protagonist, can wear thin quite quickly.
- An extra weapon or two would have offered more choice.
- Boss combat needed a spruce up to set itself apart from other 'lesser' enemies.
Sorry We’re Closed released on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on 6th March 2025, and PC on 14th November 2024.
For more Thumb Wars Reviews, check out our thoughts on Monster Hunter Wilds, or how long it takes to beat Sorry We’re Closed.
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Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
