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Sorry We're Closed

Cover Art

This month's Joystick Junkies was Sorry We're Closed - a survival horror game in the classic style, but with some modern twists. This style of game has had a resurgence recently, with Crow Country and Signalis being two more recent titles that seek to emulate the same kind of experience. Sorry We're Closed separates itself in several ways, but most notably in its art/style, and the core mechanic known as "The Third Eye". Stylistically, the game is hypermodern, oozes color, and full of punk-chic. A lot of the narrative threads emphasize embracing your truth, with subplots that touch on topics ranging from interracial dating to sexual identity - it made for a perfect complement to the start of Pride Month. Mechanically, it plays much like the other retro survival horror games, with a fixed angle camera and slow but imposing enemies. This time, you have a "Third Eye" that can see things as the really are, and when you use this on an enemy it triggers a target practice minigame. If you hit the targets consecutively, deal some bonus damage. This mechanic adds for some nice variety and also incentivizes combat, something I feel action horror games typically do a bad job of. The story is fun and very progressive, like I mentioned before. At a high level, you are thrust into the world of demons and angels and have to decide whether to stay among them, or return to your old life. I was impressed by the amount of variation presented in the story, as you are given the option to choose your path during pivotal story events. The soundtrack is a mixed bag, with some amazing songs (looking at you City Street song), and some bad. It features some lyrical songs during important battles, and they were pretty cringe-inducing. Give Sorry We're Closed a try if you're looking for something new in the survival horror space, or if you like a game with bold style.

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Reviewed on 2026-06-09


The television scenes were very Twin Peaks coded

★★★★☆

4 out of 5