While We Wait Here

- Reviewed on Switch 2 -

While We Wait Here released on October 23rd, 2024.

Have you ever played a game that you can appreciate for what it does, understand why people enjoy it, but still find yourself having a hard time staying interested?

Well, that's pretty much my experience with While We Wait Here.

This psychological horror game caught my attention because of its unique combination of kitchen management, storytelling, and horror elements.

And honestly, I think there's a lot to appreciate here!

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

One of the first things I want to mention is the graphics.

I absolutely love the pixelated PS1-style graphics!

Apparently, I'm not the only one who enjoys this visual style, as plenty of developers have been using it in their games.

And I can see why!

This style works surprisingly well across different genres, including a game like While We Wait Here.

The visuals give the diner and its surroundings a distinct atmosphere that fits the psychological horror setting.

Now, let's talk about the story.

You play as Cliff, who runs a diner alongside his wife, Nora.

The two are planning on selling their diner and moving on to the next chapter of their lives.

However, there's a rather big problem.

A world-ending storm or event is approaching, and things are becoming increasingly unsettling.

Throughout the game, you'll meet several different patrons who visit the diner.

Each of these characters has their own circumstances, conversations, and perspectives on what's happening around them.

And this is where the game's storytelling becomes particularly interesting.

The gameplay loop is essentially split into three main parts.

First, there's the diner management portion, where you're responsible for running the establishment and serving customers.

Second, there's the counseling portion, where you listen to your patrons and make decisions that influence the direction of the story and ultimately determine which ending you'll receive.

And finally, there's the nightmares!

The nightmares are easily my favorite parts of the game!

I really enjoyed these sections, especially because they provide a different experience from the everyday diner management.

They also help establish the psychological horror atmosphere that the game is going for.

As for the overall length, I actually think the approximately two-hour experience is just about right.

Considering the kind of story being told, and my own on-and-off enjoyment of the game, I don't think it needed to be much longer.

It gets its point across without overstaying its welcome.

However, there's something worth mentioning.

While We Wait Here has multiple different endings!

Your conversations and decisions with the patrons can influence how things unfold, giving the game some replayability.

And while I appreciate having that option, I personally don't see myself going back through the game to experience every possible ending.

The replayability is there, but it's just not for me.

Unfortunately, this brings me to my biggest issue with the game.

While I enjoyed the story and appreciated the effort put into its presentation, the gameplay loop itself wasn't keeping my attention.

For a game that's only around two hours long, it actually took me days to finish!

I'd find myself playing for a little while, putting it down, and then coming back to it later.

I think that's a pretty good indication of how much the gameplay loop struggled to hold my interest.

The story was fun, and I wanted to see where things would go, but I wasn't always particularly excited to jump back into the diner management sections.

Another disappointment was the music.

Sadly, I didn't find the soundtrack particularly memorable.

It wasn't something that stuck with me after playing, which is unfortunate considering how important atmosphere is to a psychological horror experience.

And then there's the technical side of things.

The loading times on Nintendo Switch 2 were horrible!

Seriously, I noticed some pretty lengthy loading times throughout my experience.

I also ran into some major audio glitches when wearing headphones.

And no, it wasn't my headphones causing the problem!

I tested them immediately afterward with other games, and they worked perfectly fine.

So, unfortunately, this is something I experienced specifically while playing While We Wait Here.

It's a shame because these technical issues definitely took away from an otherwise interesting experience.

Despite these complaints, I can absolutely understand why this game has received praise from players who appreciate story-driven experiences.

There's clearly a lot of love and care put into the characters, atmosphere, and overall narrative.

And while the gameplay loop wasn't particularly engaging for me, I still enjoyed the story enough to see it through to the end.

At the end of the day, While We Wait Here is a nice little plot-driven psychological horror game.

It's not perfect, and I certainly have my criticisms, but I think there's something worthwhile here for people who enjoy this kind of experience.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely!

Would I personally replay it to experience the other endings?

Probably not.

Still, I'm glad I gave it a chance!

Pros: 

    - I absolutely love the pixelated PS1-style graphics

    - An interesting, story-driven experience

    - The combination of diner management, counseling, and nightmare sequences provides variety

    - Multiple endings provide some replayability

    - Reasonable game length

Cons:

    - The soundtrack wasn't particularly memorable

    - The loading times on Nintendo Switch 2 were horrible

    - Major audio glitches

My Rating for While We Wait Here (on Switch 2):

4 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.