Sorry We’re Open is a retro-stylized, horror supermarket RPG simulator with the power to really suck you in. It’s atmosphere, storyline, coloring, and droning soundscape are pixelated eye-candy and hours of immersive play. And I mean HOURS. The game sets you up for an oddly realistic-feeling experience mixed with elements of disturbing imagery and messages meant to question ethical thought. Because just like life, everything must go … and its fifty percent off!
Gameplay
You’re the manager of a seriously creeped out supermarket. You’ll take on shifts, hire and fire, explore your surroundings for useful items, and goof off when needed. Within the story, decision-making play is present with the hiring and firing of employees and work decisions to be made. These employees can become very useful to you, so thinking these hires through is key. You have specific job duties you can do or procrastinate away from. Watch out for the various … beings though.
You get to take breaks–which is great because that’s where the vending machines are. Items can be purchased from them with your hard-earned wages to help you progress through the day. Oh, you don’t want to work your shifts? Well, you’re fired. Just kidding. You can explore the map also, very much like an open world format. But it does take the discovery of certain items and NPC interactions to open up more of it. And you’ll want to do that because this game gets more fun and addicting as you go.
Battle scenarios are decision and strategy-based in return for rewards. You will learn quickly that the items you’ve also earned while on your shrift were not done so in vain. There is a lot of searching and discovery to be had in an ever-expanding world, but with little guidance. I actually loved this feature and was also frustrated with it at times … which I think was the point. I mean, this is Hell, er … I mean a corporate supermarket. 🙂 I played games like this as a teen and it took me back to that kind of fun. As the game progresses, you really do feel trapped inside a labyrinth of corporate purgatory.
There’s something about the feeling this game gives, adding to the ever-present corporate responsibility entrusted upon you to choose the right employees for the job–their skills, or lack thereof, could help or cripple your game progress. You might have to let some decent, struggling people go to make room for another guy who annoys you but has the right qualifications. You need him to move forward in your career. And so now … you’re one of them, aren’t you?
Part of the deeper message could be that employees are all replaceable once their skills are used up and the life sucked out of them. But who cares? It’s just a game. Right? I’ve played this all night, so I’m actually asking …
There are many cool places to visit and characters to interact with. The storyline is intricate and complex, so don’t let the pixelated graphics fool you. You will engage in RPG battles and search for items to help unlock doors and new areas. Each item find is more rewarding than the last and the visuals are just frickin’ neat. There’s even a cool 1990s computer interaction mini-game that adds the perfect touch. Of course, you gotta find it first.
If you do get stuck, there are some limited hints available online. You won’t want to look for these unless you really get desperate, but I’ll admit, I had to a few times. You won’t want to ruin the fun though. You’ll definitely want to unravel this eerie story yourself.
Development
This Indie game was developed and written by Oates and was created with the use of RPG Maker MV which utilizes JavaScript and HTML5. HTML5 helps with cross-platform compatibility and thus can enable games to become available on different devices and operating systems. Sorry We’re Open is available on multiple storefronts at various low pricings.
It currently requires Windows 7 or higher, 1 GB of RAM, and 350 MB of available storage on your already crowded and unorganized hard drive. Defrag, you weirdo.
Content Warning from the developer as it reads on Steam: “Some segments may contain explicit language/profanity, blood/gore, animal death, civil unrest/violence, smoking, implied voyeurism, workplace violence, disturbing images and themes.“
Conclusion
If you like simulator games reminiscent of the 90s, but with more modern creativity and excellent story writing, you should try this one out. I would also like to recommend No Delivery by Oates. It has a similar feel, but a very different and equally engrossing story. These games are actual gems. I cannot emphasize this enough and am looking forward to playing the next one I’ve downloaded, Nobody’s Home.
Veronica holds a B.B.A. in Computer Information Systems and also majored in Computer Science ages ago. She has gamed since she was 9 years old. This review is based on opinion and all photos of the game are used for reference, informational purposes, and belong to the author/developer of the game. There was no compensation for this review.
The Kosher Gamer 