My 100 Video Game Challenge (2024) #7: Tacoma

Played on: PlayStation 4, PC

I have to confess something; I don't actually hate 'walking simulators'. While they're seen as a bit of a dull, unfulfilling genre by the 'real hardcore gamers' (TM), I think a decent walking simulator can be a great way to enjoy a relaxing, lo-fi gaming experience, when you're not up for something bigger or more demanding. This current state is what eventually led me to Tacoma, a game that was recently available on PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium (it's since left the service, sadly), and one I also recalled receiving for PC via a Humble Bundle some years ago.

Tacoma is developed by the outfit formerly known as The Fullbright Company, now simply known as, "Fullbright", after losing most of its employees to a scandal related to a toxic work environment. Those former Fullbright employees have since teamed with beloved indie publisher, Annapurna Interactive to make the newly-released Open Roads (maybe I'll give that a look this year), but before that big exodus, Tacoma was the final project developed by the studio, pre-splintering.

The premise behind Tacoma is simple; You're a future-era contractor who is venturing out to an abandoned space station, known as Tacoma. Clearly, some sort of incident has taken place there, leaving the crew's whereabouts unknown, and the nature of your mission (and allegiance) a bit of a mystery. From that starting point, you're then allowed into the corridors of Tacoma to discover what happened and why you're there at your own pace. You likely won't have to linger for long though, since Tacoma is rather short, clocking in around 2-4 hours in length, depending on how thorough you are, along with how much you're chasing side objectives and trophies/achievements.

This is a difficult game to do a simple write-up for, because Tacoma is built entirely around the mystery of its environment. You poke around the various sectors of the station, interacting with the belongings of the absent crew, and in the process, learning about who they are, and how they worked. After you've gathered enough information, you then move on to the next sector, until the overarching mystery surrounding why the player is on Tacoma begins to come into focus.

What I will say regarding Tacoma is that its environmental immersion and characterization are both sublime, even if the game itself is quite simple. I felt a legitimate personal connection to the crew of the station, even if they were strangers that are never present. Their voices and A.I. phantoms give you just enough of a window into their humanity to poke at your empathy, without truly upending your real mission.

Tacoma's modest series of tasks are nonetheless undemanding though, and the game's short length isn't helped by its diminished replay value. After all, once you know the mystery behind Tacoma, and you've seen everything on the station, there isn't much reason to come back, unless you're in it for the achievements/trophies, and you happened to miss some. Adding insult to injury there is the fact that Tacoma is priced at a, frankly, delusional sum of $25.99 CAN! That is WAY too much for a game this short and simple!

If you're going to play Tacoma, I would recommend grabbing it on sale (it at least sells for a much more reasonable $5-$8 or so during Steam sales and the like), or better yet, checking it out via a subscription service like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus. Tacoma has come and gone from both services already, but it could make its way back to either eventually, as several indie games of its ilk already have.

It also won't surprise you to hear that Tacoma's first-person walking simulator presentation feels most at home on PC, where I could play with a mouse and keyboard, even though Tacoma still plays plenty well on PlayStation consoles, with a controller. I have experience with the Xbox One version of Tacoma from years ago as well (back when Tacoma was a console exclusive on Xbox), and I didn't really perceive any noticeable difference between Tacoma's belated PS4 version, and my time testing out the Xbox One build, back when it was on Xbox Game Pass.

Is Tacoma anything truly special, as far as indie games go? Honestly, not really. I think its predecessor, Gone Home made a much bigger splash during that game's original PC launch in 2013. Even so, Tacoma is immersive and emotionally gratifying enough to recommend for fans of its laid-back genre. Like I said though, definitely grab it on sale or via subscription, to better maximize the value of its short, simple play time.

IF I HAD TO SCORE IT: 7/10