Go Home Annie

• DEVELOPER: Misfit Village
• PUBLISHER: Nordcurrent Labs
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Psychological Thriller
• RELEASE DATE: December 10, 2024
• STARTING PRICE: 19,50 €
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Go Home Annie left mixed feelings. Certain aspects of the game are well thought out, but if you're expecting a horror game, you're in the wrong place. Although the atmosphere contributes to that feeling, it is a puzzle game and walking simulator that follows a story with various plot twists, and there are also SCP creatures we encounter during gameplay. The game can be divided into two parts: in the first, we meet Annie, the main protagonist, and the SCP Replication Division where she works, while in the second, the story takes on a completely new shape to reach a certain climax.

Yes, it is a game that features pronounced Croatian motifs, such as sausage and kulen, and even includes stickers you receive during a house blessing. The setting is located in the Žumberak, and that environment is quite prevalent. Unfortunately, the game does not utilize the rich potential of the SCP universe enough, which is otherwise extremely intriguing. However, Go Home Annie manages to present diverse anomalies in an interesting way, from a bathtub and water that communicate with you, to a red bucket that causes chaos, a mutilated deer, and a machine that transforms objects.

If you are not very familiar with the SCP universe, Go Home Annie can serve as an interesting introduction to its secrets. The game manages to show how SCP can be anyone or anything, but, as already mentioned, the limited number of creatures presented is not enough to satisfy curiosity. If the game had gone in the direction of a more detailed exploration of SCP anomalies, focusing on the first three hours to get to know them, as well as a deeper development of Annie and her friends who have too few scenes, the overall experience would have been significantly better.

Excellent voice acting, but the story gradually loses quality as the game progresses.

The detail in the description of these creatures is truly impressive, encouraging us to explore every corner of the world. However, interaction with the anomalies themselves is limited, except in the case of the bathtub and its water, which play an important role in the story. As in the demo version, the game begins by exploring your own house, while the director repetitively harasses you to uncover something obvious. Although Annie initially doesn't seem special, that soon changes when visions of her father begin to surface.

The beginning of the story offers meaningful and coherent development, but after leaving the SCP base, the narrative begins to lose quality. The plot accelerates and becomes increasingly incoherent. From initial research and maintenance of anomalies, the game is reduced to solving puzzles inspired by other games. The driving sections are particularly problematic – long, tedious, and exhausting, which easily makes you question whether it all makes sense. Go Home Annie also at one point takes on an emphasized supernatural tone that abruptly shifts the direction of the story by 360 degrees.

What certainly stands out throughout the game is the voice acting, which is at an exceptionally high level. It is incredible how well it is performed. Graphically, the game looks very appealing – the ambiance and details are carefully designed, creating a chilling visual atmosphere. However, the animations sometimes do not keep pace with the rest of the game, especially when entering and exiting the car or climbing the radio tower with ladders. In those moments, it gives the impression that the budget has run out, as the quality varies in several instances.

Puzzles are interesting, but the quality of the animations is inconsistent

The focus of the game lies in the mystery – who is Annie, what is the purpose of the camera, and why is it where it is? This sense of the unknown enhances the interest in the story. Puzzles particularly contribute to the development of this theme, and their full significance comes to light in the second part of the game. For example, you will need to find an identical childhood picture to unlock the path to the puzzle you need, assemble holograms of memories, and face less inspiring obstacles, such as sliding a card through a wall opening to navigate more easily through the SCP facility.

The camera also plays a crucial role – it opens dimensions from another world and helps solve certain mysteries. However, the game also has a short stealth segment that is disappointing. It lasts about 20 minutes, during which you need to avoid cameras that move in specific directions. Crouching, you can pass by guards who won’t notice you even from a distance of 10 meters, which further undermines the sense of tension in those parts of the game.

It is already known that Croatian studies often resort to puzzles to encourage players to think. Although they are fundamentally well-designed, Go Home Annie feels somewhat scattered due to the variety of elements it tries to incorporate. The story would have a greater impact if it progressed gradually, rather than suddenly bombarding the player with information about the main protagonist. Annie as a character is well-developed, but the rest of the narrative seems abrupt, for example, entering a house that suddenly opens up the possibility of changing dimensions or transitioning from a warm room to a space filled with water where you float.

Ending thoughts

Overall, Go Home Annie is not a bad title and has many positive aspects. The puzzles are particularly impressive and provide satisfaction in solving them, paving the way to the game's conclusion. However, due to the constant changes and mixing of the story, it is difficult to maintain continuity and a deeper connection with the narrative. If you decide to play, you probably won't regret it, but don't expect a classic horror experience; the game is more focused on mystery and puzzle-solving than on creating tension and fear.

Review copy provided by the publisher

3.6