Apartment Story Review. A Simple And Mundane Life Turned Upside Down (Spoiler-Free)

And it all started with a visit.

Developer/Publisher: Blue Rider Interactive

Platform: Steam

Socials: Twitter

Price: $7.00

Apartment Story is a third-person narrative thriller developed by Blue Rider Interactive. You take on the role of Arthur, a struggling young man who recently lost his job and got into a dangerous situation between his ex-roommate and her stalker. It takes around 120 to 180 minutes to complete, which may have led to the story feeling stunted, as well as its characterization, complexity, and gameplay loop.

The Mundane

The most interesting part of the game is its ability to convey the loneliness and monotony that fills Arthur’s life. As I enjoy realism, especially in storytelling, I truly enjoyed life's bleakness and accurate portrayal. Arthur has lost his job and struggles to pay rent, and it’s reflected in how he lives. In a Sims-like system but with a different point of view; you take care of your hunger, your hygiene, and your mind as you deal with the stress of life and the events that occur.

The gameplay loop was compelling, which is a very odd way of describing something so mundane. It’s clear they wanted a simple game you could not only quickly learn but also relate to. Making yourself a meal is as easy as picking up the bowl, cereal, and milk and placing it on a cutting board, kind of like a crafting bench, mixing them, and done. Even as I didn’t need to put anything away, I did. I would put away the cereal on top of the fridge, the milk inside the fridge, and I would wash the bowl after eating then place it in the drying rack. The mundane atmosphere is simple and relatable, because in real life, every second isn’t exciting. The atmosphere is pushed forward thanks to Apartment Story’s presentation, and audio.

The Feel

Akin to PS2-era graphics, Apartment Story’s art style helps push the bland and mundane of daily life into an eye-catching yet dim feel which is reflected in its gameplay. Everything from the outside rain to the inside solitude that can get drowned out by the bumping soundtrack feels just as it should. However, everything in this game falls apart when looking at its narrative.

Melodrama

I’ve been highlighting the mundane atmosphere that the game excels at, meaning that it does a great job replicating a boring and lonesome life someone in Arthur’s situation lives. It greatly contrasts with the narrative the game has, as it’s as bombastic as it’s dramatic. While the trailer and description center around “the gun,” it’s a story about domestic abuse. The way it’s portrayed comes off as detached. You could argue that the detachments are created because it’s through Arthur's point-of-view, it doesn’t allow the player to truly feel for anyone.

I understand why we don’t know the details of Diane’s life, but I can’t feel attached to her because I am not given the space to understand what she’s going through. I know that Arthur has a thing for her, and they have sex, but what else is there? The narrative pauses every time she leaves, and you go back to the mundane life that makes the pacing jarring. While I will say the ending sequence did feel intense, it’s hard to say that anything in the story was emotional.

Verdict

Apartment Story excels in its depiction of the mundane and bland life, though when it comes to the actual story, it falls apart in creating a connection between the player and the characters, as each character is two-dimensional. This could be because the game is short, and too much of the focus went into the mundane aspect of the game and not into characterization. Writing a good short story is a difficult task, but the game has the bones to become a great piece if given more time to develop the characters and mechanics to provide more overall depth.

Rating: 5/10