The Long Reach is a curious case of a game that, on a first attempt, failed to captivate me. About a month ago I started playing it, but ended up setting it aside relatively early — largely because of the puzzles, which struck me as unintuitive and overly dependent on out-of-the-box thinking, to the point of becoming frustrating.
However, upon returning to the game more recently, the experience played out quite differently. I realized that The Long Reach is a title full of personality — one that knows exactly the kind of experience it wants to offer and manages to surprise through the way it builds its atmosphere.
The narrative is one of its greatest assets, clearly adopting a structure reminiscent of a classic horror film. There's an interesting balance between moments of unexpected humor and others of intense tension, during which we find ourselves fleeing from a former work colleague who has become a threatening, unpredictable presence. Over the course of the story, several well-executed twists also emerge, helping sustain interest and making the journey more memorable than it initially seemed.
The pixel art direction fits this universe perfectly, reinforced by a dark soundtrack that helps create a constant atmosphere of discomfort and suspense. Together, these elements make the game feel very much like an interactive horror film.
Not everything is perfect, however. Along the way I encountered a few bugs that slightly broke the immersion — something that could have been better resolved with a bit more technical polish.
Even so, despite those flaws, The Long Reach ends up being a worthwhile experience — especially for anyone looking for a shorter game with a taste for horror stories with a classic, stylized touch.
out of 10
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Game The Long Reach Released 2018 Available on PC · macOS · Linux · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · Nintendo Switch Reviewed on Nintendo Switch |  Cover: IGDB |
| PL | Pedro Lopes Writer · Portugal |
A games writer from Portugal running on a highly irresponsible amount of coffee — his blood type is officially "espresso". He has been a content creator at Lisbon Games Week, a jury member at Over & Out ’25 and an attendee of DevGAMM Lisbon 2025 (mostly for the free coffee). He has a Pac-Man tattoo on his finger, which contractually obliges him to chase ghosts forever.