There are some videogames that linger long after the credits roll. Sometimes it’s because they are certified masterpieces, but I’ve found that the ones that truly stick with me are the "weird" ones—titles like Deadly Premonition, Nier, Device 6 or The Excavation at Hob's Barrow. Standing alongside these is Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (EHGTTR).
My journey with the developers, The Chinese Room, began with the live concert of Dear Esther and continued through the dark corridors of A Machine for Pigs. But Rapture is the one that has lived rent-free in my mind. On the surface, it is a very British affair - set in a quintessential village featuring voice actors from The Archers - yet, beneath that pastoral veneer lies a profound sense of existential dread.
The Art of Absence
The game’s power lies in its masterful use of sound design and environmental storytelling. The absence of people, the eerie silence, and the looming sense of cosmic indifference create a truly haunting experience. Our footstep in the stunning English countryside, which are eerily empty, are soundtracked by Jessica Curry’s stunning, ethereal soundtrack (which I own on vinyl) which contributes to an atmosphere of surreal stillness, peace, or uncanny nostalgia.
In these uncertain times, it is easy to lean into dystopian or apocalyptic fantasies where the end is nigh. However, I prefer my end of days to be served as pure cosmicism: the realization that humans are insignificant beings in a vast, indifferent universe with no power to change the larger scheme of things.
Personal vs. Cosmic Horror
It is natural to compare this experience to H.P. Lovecraft. Both share the theme of human insignificance in the face of incomprehensible forces; it is his concept of the protagonist who cannot win that I find so thrillingly bleak.
However, Rapture takes a more personal approach than Lovecraft usually allowed. While he dealt with cold, ancient gods, Rapture focuses on the individual’s struggle within a decaying, once-idyllic world. The emotional depth isn't just on the screen; it is supplied by your own imagination as you navigate the boundaries of what exists beyond the village.
The "Heaven Fugue" and Incomprehensible Powers
Whilst writing this essay, I came across an video essay that compared EGTTR to Junji Ito’s work Remina. I’m a fan of Ito but hadn’t read Remina at the time but have since and I agree that there is indeed a similarity in theme; in Remina, the discovery of a new celestial body ushers in a surreal, chaotic end to Earth. Much like the Power in Rapture, the forces at play in Ito’s work are beyond our control.
For me, my reference was a lot less highbrow: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget! In that film, an infomercial explains how stress makes meat tough and chewy, implying that a happy animal is a tasty one. This provides a chilling theory for the events in Yaughton: perhaps the Power provides a sort of heaven fugue state for those it takes because it wants its harvest to be peaceful. Whether the force is trying to communicate with us or simply "tenderizing" us is left to the shadows.
Optimism at the Edge of the Abyss
The conclusion of stories like Remina and EHGTTR often leave us with a poignant reflection on the human condition. It reminds us that humans are, at their core, optimists. Even in the face of impending doom - even when their lives are measured in mere moments - they strive for happiness.
This is the biting irony at the heart of the narrative: the relentless pursuit of joy standing in stark contrast to the relentless march of annihilation. I don’t know exactly why Rapture sticks with me so firmly, but perhaps it is because it puts me in my place. It forces me to understand that I am but an insignificant dot in an uncaring world, yet can find beauty in the silence that remains.
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