Brighton studio The Chinese Room has had an interesting few years. The studio renowned for titles like Dear Esther<\/em> and Everybody\u2019s Gone to the Rapture<\/em> laid off a big chunk of its staff in 2017 before being bought by Sumo Digital in 2018. <\/p>
Following the acquisition, the studio announced it was working on games that simply didn\u2019t seem to fit its usual wheelhouse, including Vampire: The Masquerade \u2013 Bloodlines 2<\/em> and adventure-platformer Little Orpheus<\/em>. There was a sigh of relief, then, when the narrative horror Still Wakes the Deep <\/em>was announced in 2023. Finally, the studio was going back to its narrative-led roots, and fans like me rejoiced.<\/p>
But while Still Wakes the Deep <\/em>may look like a return to form for The Chinese Room, its beauty is only skin deep.<\/p>