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The Suicide of Rachel Foster

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The Suicide of Rachel Foster is a 2020 adventure video game developed by One-O-One Games and published by Daedalic Entertainment. The story follows Nicole Wilson on a visit to her family's Timberline Hotel during December 1993. Having left ten years prior with her mother after learning of her father Leonard's affair with the teenaged Rachel Foster, Nicole plans to quickly inspect the Timberline and sell it. She is forced to stay longer due to a heavy snowstorm, with Federal Emergency Management Agency agent Irving Crawford as her only contact with the outside world. Stuck in the Timberline, Nicole decides to investigate Leonard and Rachel's relationship, as well as Rachel's mysterious suicide. The player controls Nicole as she navigates the Timberline, collecting various items to solve puzzles and progress with the story, all the while able to use a radio-telephone to converse with Irving through a dialogue tree.

The Suicide of Rachel Foster
Image depicts a red orthodontic retainer for the upper teeth section. The retainer is turned upside-down, making it resemble a butterfly on the snow. Above the retainer, the game's title, The Suicide of Rachel Foster is written.
Cover art featuring Rachel Foster's retainer
Developer(s)One-O-One Games
Publisher(s)Daedalic Entertainment
Director(s)Daniele Azara
Programmer(s)Lorenzo Bellincampi
Writer(s)Daniele Azara
Composer(s)Federico Landini
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows
  • February 19, 2020
  • PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • September 9, 2020
  • Nintendo Switch
  • October 31, 2021
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

One-O-One Games aimed to create a horror game that emphasized suspense and fear over traditional monsters, and developed the narrative and gameplay simultaneously so they would complement each other. They designed The Suicide of Rachel Foster as a walking simulator—a genre of adventure game focusing on exploration—to explore real-life topics, given the genre's emphasis on narrative. The Overlook Hotel from the 1980 horror film The Shining served as inspiration for the Timberline. The developers sought professional advice for the depiction of topics such as child sexual abuse and suicide to portray them with sensitivity. Daedalic released The Suicide of Rachel Foster for Windows in February 2020, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in September 2020, and for Nintendo Switch in October 2021.

The Suicide of Rachel Foster received mixed reviews from critics. Praise was aimed at the setting and sound design, as well as Nicole and Irving, their relationship, and vocal performances. Conversely, the plot and mystery, as well as some gameplay aspects, received a more mixed reception. Critics responded overwhelmingly negatively to the depiction of child sexual abuse and suicide, arguing the game does not handle these topics sensitively. The ending was particularly criticized for forcing the player into the position of a character who commits suicide. A sequel titled The Fading of Nicole Wilson was announced in October 2024.

Gameplay

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Nicole interacting with a radio-telephone she uses to talk to Irving.

The Suicide of Rachel Foster is a mystery-thriller adventure game played from a first-person perspective.[1][2] The player controls Nicole Wilson as she explores the Timberline Hotel, owned by her family.[2][3] Her only means of communication is a radiotelephone she can use to talk with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agent Irving Crawford. The player can choose from a dialogue tree how they reply during conversations with him.[3] During the game, Nicole has to solve environmental puzzles to progress with the story, such as acquiring a screwdriver or finding a generator switch.[3] She has a map to help her navigate the Timberline, with objectives marked on it.[4] As the game progresses, Nicole acquires a polaroid camera, a mechanically powered flashlight, and a parabolic microphone, which are needed to solve certain puzzles;[4] at one point during a blackout, the flash from the polaroid camera acts as her only light source.[5]

Plot

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In December 1993, Nicole Wilson reads a letter from her dead mother Claire. Her father Leonard McGrath was the owner of the Timberline Hotel, a mountain hotel in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, situated in the Helena National Forest. In 1983, Leonard groomed and molested Nicole's 16-year-old classmate Rachel Foster. Once their relationship was discovered, Rachel seemingly killed herself nine weeks into her pregnancy and Claire left town with Nicole. In the letter, Claire instructs Nicole to inspect the hotel and sell it.

Arriving at the Timberline, Nicole receives a call from FEMA agent Irving Crawford, who states he will assist Nicole during her stay. He warns her against leaving due to a heavy snowstorm which started after her arrival. Irving appears aware of the history involving Leonard and Rachel, although Nicole would prefer not to discuss it. As Nicole's lawyer Mr. Jenkins cannot come due to the snowstorm, Irving instructs her to inspect the Timberline's second floor.

Questioning his knowledge concerning her family and the hotel, Irving reveals he was often sent by FEMA to provide supplies. Nicole receives a phone call—despite the hotel's phone lines being down—and is warned to not sell the hotel, as Rachel "is still there". The following day, Nicole finds a recently opened lipstick and tells Irving about her theory that Rachel might still be alive, deciding to collect various clues.

Two days later, Irving shows Nicole a tape taken by ghost hunters after Rachel's death. Entering the room where the recording occurred, Nicole finds a microphone that allows her to hear faint sounds. In the tape, one of the hunters hears a woman's voice with the microphone and they flee upon noticing a strange light, the door shutting behind them.

During Christmas Eve, Nicole wakes up inside a church, connected to the Timberline through an underground passage. Remembering a rhyme Leonard taught her to find a secret storeroom inside the passage, she discovers a room modeled after Rachel's bedroom and the key to her music box; she assumes someone—likely Rachel—was living there. Opening the music box, Nicole remembers that on December 27, 1983, when Rachel supposedly killed herself, she was playing at a hockey game which her mother had driven her to.

A day later, Nicole investigates a storeroom with mannequins, which depict a pregnant woman being killed by someone holding a hockey stick. Nicole realizes it belongs to her and calls Irving, who suspiciously tells her to continue her search. Going to the second floor, she finds a previously locked door leading to the west wing unlocked. There she discovers Irving's room, who reveals he was behind the hotel's strange occurrences and used Nicole to uncover what had happened to Rachel, his older sister. According to him, their household was abusive, and Rachel was his only source of comfort. Having dyslexia, she often suffered from bullying, with Irving arguing Leonard was the only person who "saw [Rachel]".

Reaching the attic, Nicole finds a recording of Leonard asking her to find out what happened to Rachel and the keys to Claire's car. Opening its trunk, she finds a blood-stained blanket and uncovers a repressed memory of the night Rachel died. Claire murdered Rachel with Nicole's hockey stick, stuck her body in the trunk, then drove Nicole to her game. While Nicole was playing, Claire briefly left to frame Rachel's suicide. Having learned the truth, Irving thanks Nicole and goes out into the cold to die. As the signal is lost, Nicole begs him to not leave her alone.

Later, Nicole is inside her car, planning to take her life via carbon monoxide poisoning. Receiving a call from her lawyer and informing him she will not sell the hotel, she starts the engine and hallucinates talking to her parents. If Nicole turns the engine off, she promises her parents to bring the Timberline back to its feet.

Development and release

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Revealed during Gamescom 2018,[3][6] The Suicide of Rachel Foster was developed by Italian studio One-O-One Games—using Unreal Engine 4—and published by Daedalic Entertainment.[7][8] It was directed by Daniele Azara and the music was composed by Federico Landini.[6] The Windows version was released on February 19, 2020.[9] The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were initially set for an August 26 release,[2] but were postponed to September 9.[10] It was released on the Nintendo Switch on October 31, 2021.[11]

Setting and genre

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Lead programmer Lorenzo Bellincampi argued The Suicide of Rachel Foster is not a horror game but geared towards "nostalgia and mystery".[3] The studio wished to create a psychological horror game evoking "unease and fear" without having to use traditional monsters or tropes.[12] One-O-One Games intended from the start of development for the narrative and gameplay to complement each other, rather than finishing the story and only then choosing an appropriate gameplay style.[8] The Suicide of Rachel Foster was designed as a walking simulator due to the genre's emphasis on narrative-based mechanics that allow for the exploration of real-life topics[12]

The developers chose a hotel as the setting in the belief that an indoor environment would more easily cause players to experience fear and claustrophobia.[8][12] They implemented architectural and proportional studies to create the hotel, so players could identify with it and be interested in exploring it.[8] The hotel's design drew heavily from the Overlook Hotel, the main setting of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980).[12] The developers set the story in Montana because it allowed them to place the Timberline in an isolated area, and because the state has a "religious population and legal framework" which provided a "plausible setting for the narrative of psychological horror and moral taboo [they] were making".[12]

Story and themes

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The developers, according to Azara, wished to portray and discuss topics such as child sexual abuse, grief, and suicide with sensitivity, rather than becoming overly morbid and depressing; to achieve this, they sought advice from partners and professionals.[8] The team wanted players to reflect on the game's topics after playing it, believing discussions of these topics can lead to healing.[8] Regarding Rachel and Leonard's relationship, One-O-One stated they were interested in exploring the moral implications of such a situation.[12]

The relationship between Rachel and Leonard was presented from various perspectives as developers hoped players would critically evaluate it and the repercussions it can have.[12] Leonard and Irving condoning his relationship with Rachel was included to showcase how people's emotions can blind them and cause them to justify immoral acts.[12] Azara stated that with Rachel and Leonard never properly appearing in the story, having their relationship explored through Nicole and Irving and how they were being affected by it and its tragic consequences was "central to the horror experience".[12]

According to One-O-One, the "controversial decision" to have Nicole potentially kill herself at the end depending on the player's choices was something they felt was in line with the game's themes and viewed it as an "intriguing game mechanic".[12]

Reception

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Critical response

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According to review aggregator Metacritic, all versions of The Suicide of Rachel Foster received "mixed or average reviews".[13][14][15] OpenCritic reported that 34% of 60 critics recommended the game.[16]

The setting—the Timberline Hotel—and sound design were praised. Jens Bremicker of ProSieben Games and Jerome Joffard of Jeuxvideo.com complimented the hotel's design.[19][18] Rachel Watts of PC Gamer called the environment "engaging" and capable of creating tension,[5] while Eurogamer's Edwin Evans-Thirlwell described the hotel as "creepy" and its design "predatory".[4] Peter Morics of Screen Rant commended the hotel's atmosphere, praising the sound design for keeping the players "on [their] toes".[20] Bremicker praised the sound design for creating an appropriate atmosphere,[19] with Péter Nagy of IGN Hungary similarly commending it for creating a sense of loneliness.[17]

Despite the Timberline's positive reception, there was criticism over the lack of engagement with the setting and its puzzles. Joffard criticized how the linearity of the plot prevented a proper exploration of the entire hotel.[18] Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun, while appreciating the hotel's design, denounced its scope and how puzzle items were rarely required to be used, making them redundant.[21] Bremicker criticized the lack of puzzles,[19] while Evans-Thirlwell found the few existing puzzles overly simplistic.[4]

The plot and ending received mixed responses from critics. The Washington Post's Christopher Byrd described the mystery as "obvious" and lacking in scares.[7] Joffard described the narrative as non-engaging, criticizing the ending and twists for being inconsistent with the rest of the story.[18] Bell said the ending caused the story to "go 'off the rails'",[21] while Nagy found its twists to be ineffective.[17] Though Evans-Thirlwell enjoyed the game's first half, its second half and ending were criticized and described as "melodramatic".[4] Watts stated that while the game initially showed promise—appearing as a ghost story—it eventually became a "melodramatic soap opera".[5] Though Bremicker was critical of the plot for taking too long to truly begin, the ending and its twists were praised.[19] Morics praised the plot as "thrilling", and despite acknowledging the ending's "logical concerns" he found it "emotionally satisfying".[20]

Nicole and Irving, their relationship, and voice acting were commended. Bremicker called Nicole a strong protagonist, showcased through her conversations with Irving and the layout of her room.[19] Evans-Thirlwell praised both characters and the performances of their voice actors,[4] while Bell complimented the voice actors for making the characters interesting, despite their writing.[21] While Nagy found Nicole and Irving to be unoriginal, he applauded their consistent personalities and voice acting, as well as the depiction of their relationship.[17] Watts enjoyed their relationship, likening it to Henry and Delilah from Firewatch (2016),[5] while Morics commended the dialogue between them.[20] Joffard applauded the voice actors for bringing the characters to life, although they criticized scenes in which Irving calls Nicole without being prompted by the player.[18]

The depiction of child sexual abuse and Rachel and Leonard's relationship was lambasted; some critics argued it was romanticized. Watts criticized the portrayal of Leonard and Rachel's relationship for being presented in a romantic light, Rachel's lack of agency in the story, and the lack of sensitivity afforded to the handling of child abuse, arguing the game to sensationalize the topic; alongside suicide.[5] NME's Vikki Blake denounced the portrayal of Leonard and Rachel's relationship for making players sympathize with their "romance" and believed the developers failed in making the game's audience to consider its topics.[22] Bell criticized the framing of Rachel as a "star-crossed lover" instead of an abuse victim, and how neither the characters nor the narrative acknowledge Leonard as a pedophile.[21] Evans-Thirlwell, while acknowledging that how the characters reflect on the relationship is not necessarily indicative of the developers' viewpoints, criticized the characters' and narrative's framing of Leonard's abuse.[4]

The handling of suicide, particularly Nicole's interactive suicide attempt during the ending, was also criticized. Bell argued the game does not handle suicide "frankly[,] sensitively[,] or in a meaningful way", describing Nicole's suicide attempt as random and "[un]earned through what the game does up until that moment".[21] Blake criticized the ending and developers' decision to have Nicole try to kill herself, arguing it contrasted with her earlier characterization, and for making players complicit in someone's suicide attempt.[22] Academics Myfanwy King, Tim Marsh, and Zeynep Akcay argued that the game discusses "several sensitive topics poorly", especially suicide.[23] Specifically, how suicide is employed as a plot device used solely for shock value, which detracted from the game's "potential to tell an emotional story".[23] Moreover, they criticized the ending for forcing players in the position of a character that wishes to commit suicide without offering any "viable alternative or chance to get help",[23] arguing that Nicole's decision to kill herself is an "outcome that feels underserved and insensitive".[24]

Accolades

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The Suicide of Rachel Foster was nominated for the Best Italian Game at the Italian Video Game Awards in 2020,[25] and at the TGM Awards 2020 in the categories Dynamic Adventure and Tell Me a Story.[26][27] At the 2021 DStars, it won Game of the Year.[28]

Sequel

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In October 2024, it was announced that The Suicide of Rachel Foster would be getting a sequel titled The Fading of Nicole Wilson.[29]

References

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  1. ^ Koljensic, Milena (November 13, 2018). "Celebrating Unreal Engine Developers Throughout Europe". Unreal Engine. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Wilson, Mike (August 21, 2020). "Ghostly Adventure The Suicide of Rachel Foster Haunts PS4 And Xbox One Later This Month". Bloody Disgusting. The Collective. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (September 12, 2018). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster Asks "What if Firewatch, but Also The Shining?"". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (August 10, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster Review – a Shining-esque Riff on Gone Home That Doesn't Quite Dazzle". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Watts, Rachel (February 24, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster". PC Gamer. Future US. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Di Pietro, Alessio (October 3, 2018). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster Arriva alla Milan Games Week 2018" [The Suicide of Rachel Foster Arrives at Milan Games Week 2018]. Vigamus Magazine (in Italian). Video Game Museum of Rome. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Byrd, Christopher (February 19, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster: A Disappointing ode to The Shining". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Making it in Unreal: Exploring Taboo Love in The Suicide of Rachel Foster's Eerie Hotel". PCGamesN. Network N. March 30, 2020. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Zwingmann, Dominik (December 7, 2019). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster: Mystery-Adventure Erscheint im Februar 2020" [The Suicide of Rachel Foster: Mystery-Adventure Arrives in February 2020]. PC Games (in German). Computec. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  10. ^ Bischoff, Jens (September 10, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster: Mystery-Thriller Startet auf PS4 und Xbox One" [The Suicide of Rachel Foster: Mystery-Thriller Launches on PS4 and Xbox One]. 4Players (in German). 4Players GmbH. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  11. ^ "The Suicide of Rachel Foster for Nintendo Switch". Nintendo. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Interview With One-O-One: The Suicide of Rachel Foster". JeuxOnLine (Interview). Interviewed by Glaystal. JeuxOnLine SARL. March 12, 2020. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "The Suicide of Rachel Foster for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "The Suicide of Rachel Foster for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "The Suicide of Rachel Foster for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  16. ^ a b "The Suicide of Rachel Foster Reviews". OpenCritic. Valnet. Archived from the original on August 1, 2024. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Nagy, Péter (February 17, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster – Kritika" [The Suicide of Rachel Foster – Review]. IGN Hungary (in Hungarian). Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d e Joffard, Jerome (March 1, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster – Une Aventure Scriptée Au-delà du Possible" [The Suicide of Rachel Foster – A Scripted Adventure Beyond the Possible]. Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Bremicker, Jens (February 19, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster im Test: Hotelaufenthalt mit Längen" [The Suicide of Rachel Foster Review: A Lengthy Hotel Stay]. ProSieben Games (in German). ProSieben. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  20. ^ a b c d Morics, Peter (February 17, 2020). "The Suicide of Rachel Foster Review: A Tragic History". Screen Rant. Valnet. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  21. ^ a b c d e Bell, Alice (February 21, 2020). "Wot I Think: The Suicide of Rachel Foster". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Blake, Vikki (September 29, 2020). "Video Games Should Cover Mature and Evocative Themes – But They Have to Do It Right". NME. BandLab Technologies. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  23. ^ a b c King, Marsh & Akcay 2021a, p. 144.
  24. ^ King, Marsh & Akcay 2021b, p. 160.
  25. ^ "Italian Video Game Awards Nominees and Winners 2020". Italian Video Game Awards. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  26. ^ "TGM Awards 2020: Le Nostre Nomination per i Giochi Dell'anno" [TGM Awards 2020: Our Nominations for the Games of the Year]. The Games Machine (in Italian). Aktia. December 21, 2020. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020.
  27. ^ "TGM Awards 2020: Abbiamo Scelto il nostro GOTY e Tutti Gli Altri Vincitori" [TGM Awards 2020: We Have Chosen our GOTY and All the Other winners]. The Games Machine (in Italian). Aktia. December 24, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021.
  28. ^ "DStars – Third Edition" (PDF). DStars. March 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  29. ^ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (October 14, 2024). "The Maw: What's New in PC Games this Week?". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on October 22, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2024.

Bibliography

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