Radiolight Review | Just One More Coin
I’ve become a big fan of “walking simulators.” Games like Firewatch or Everybody’s Gone to Rapture have such engaging stories that you don’t really notice that there isn’t a lot of actual “gameplay” happening. They don’t need it. It’s enough to simply be a small part of the story and to be the one that’s making that story progress. Radiolight, from developer Krystof Knesl, is a thriller and walking simulator taking place in a national park in 1985, where two people have gone missing. It’s up to you, as a police investigator, to find out what went on in the park and where these two people might have gone.
Radiolight starts very slowly, introducing players to the main character Ethan, a police officer from the town of Ashwood Creek. A few days before you start your investigation a teenager named Elliot went missing in Ashwood Creek National Forest, but while the search party continues their sweep of the forest, you’re in charge of looking for a park ranger that has also recently gone missing. At first, the forest may seem like a normal, mundane place, but the more you investigate the more you’ll uncover that it points to something much more sinister going on in the shadows.
Your most important tool in the game is your radio. You’ll be in communication with Robert, the town’s Chief of Police throughout your investigation, reporting anything to him that’s relevant to the search. But, as things progress, you’ll also tune into different stations in order to solve the occasional puzzle or to pick up on interference that seems to be supernatural in nature.
Radiolight isn’t without its technical issues. As you play through the game you may notice characters or objects clipping through the environment. Items you can’t pick up at all when it seems as though you should be able to (my coin collection grew exponentially throughout my playthrough). Once I even broke a window only to find it miraculously fixed a moment later. There wasn’t anything that caused me to have to restart the game at the previous checkpoint thankfully, but it was enough to cause the occasional annoyance.
Additionally, the character animations themselves are a bit awkward, and some of the voice acting feels a bit comical as well. Keeping in mind that, impressively, this game has been created by one person, none of these minor issues would be enough to deter me from the game if it weren’t for how slow moving the plot is at first. I found the beginning to be a little too slow moving. Within the first hour I found myself wondering why it was called a “thriller” as it hadn’t seemed like much of anything had happened. Of course, as the game progresses, things speed up quite a bit, but there’s A LOT of wandering around aimlessly in the forest with very little to guide you in the right direction.
While Radiolight has a slow start, its ending is definitely intriguing. You’ll likely find yourself trying to guess what’s going on before the story reveals what’s happening. Is this an alien abduction? Is there a kidnapper? A murderer? All answers will be revealed by the end and I think you’ll be surprised by what you find.
Overall, Radiolight is a bit rough around the edges. With such a slow start, I’m not sure I would have finished it if I hadn’t been playing with a friend who was experiencing the story alongside me. But I’m glad I persevered because the ending was definitely a fun surprise. This isn’t the strongest walking simulator out there, but with clear inspiration from games like Firewatch, I’d be interested in seeing what developer Knesl does next.
Breakdown
Game Name: Radiolight
Developer: Krystof Knesl
Publisher: Iceberg Interactive
Availability: PC
Game Length: 3.5 - 6 hours (Depending on how much you explore)
Reviewed on PC
Final Thoughts
Radiolight is an interesting thriller with twists and turns that players may not see coming. It’s slow to start, but when it picks up, things definitely get more fun. There’s some technical issues that may cause some laughs but don’t do much to deter from the rest of the game. If you’re looking for a lightly spooky experience, Radiolight isn’t bad by any means and it’s very impressive that it has been made by one person.