The Backrooms: Expedition Review (PC)

I’m lost in some purgatory-like hellhole, frequently rewinding the clock and traipsing around the exact same liminal corridors as before. I’m yearning — no, begging to be released from the inescapable shackles of yet another Backroom abyss. It feels as if I’ve been here before. Matter of fact, between this world and the last, it feels as if I’m no longer able to distinguish the difference between either of them, for the Backrooms are, rather disappointingly, prone to borrowing from its counterparts. And I’ll be honest with you, The Backrooms: Expedition doesn’t do a great deal to change that perception.

It doesn’t help, I suppose, that I’ve only just departed the liminal realm of Expedition to the Backrooms. Having gone from that to this, I’m struggling to spot the needle in the haystack; the haystack is still here, and its monolithic stature is reminding me that, while there are platinum pins somewhere within the dense bundle of straw, the chances of finding one are slim to non-existent. Oh, Backroom-like walking simulators are a dime a dozen, and unless they’re smitten with memorable spaces and a captivating USP, they’re automatically battling against the odds. In other words, without an original hook, there’s no needle; it’s just a blade of grass in a haystack. Kudos, then, to those who still wage the war for supremacy over its ilk.

So, is The Backrooms: Expedition worth the time and emotional investment? Stick with us a while longer and we’ll touch base on that.

“I’ve Been Down This Rabbit Hole Before…”

The Backrooms: Expedition isn’t the first I’ve seen of its kind, nor will it be the last, either. In fact, if you were to slot two, three, or perhaps even twenty-six Backroom-like horrors in front of me, I would still struggle to tell you which one is The Backrooms: Expedition. This isn’t because it’s a bad game, much less a forgettable one. It’s because, visually, it more or less borrows and implements the same assets as its competitors’ — not in a shameful way, but in a way that makes you question just how much time the devs spent devising fresh ideas and not milking others till they bled dry.

With its inclusion of squeaky clean, almost hospital-standard hygiene, crystallized waters, office-centric boardrooms and walkways, and not to mention a treasure trove of vacant rooms and liminal spaces, The Backrooms: Expedition makes it abundantly clear that, prior to its inception, it had done more than enough homework to maximize its authenticity and quality. I can’t complain about that. But what I can complain about is how it chooses to add these fixtures into its composition. Frustratingly, there are a lot of noticeable re-used assets here, which, after a short while of playing, become a bit of a headache to witness. Perhaps this is just a small thing. Even still, it’s tough to feel immersed when you’re glaring at the same handful of set pieces and assets.

One More Room

In an effort to counter the above hiccup, The Backrooms: Expedition does indeed take a stab at blending the traditional liminal spaces and open-ended exploration with a slightly more intense affair. Of course, to brand it a natural-born horror just wouldn’t be accurate. Yet, it does aim to bring more to the table than a simple rehash of what we have seen dozens of times over. By that I mean, aside from the aimlessly roaming and analyzing, there are additional chase sequences for you to endure here. I’ll admit, the actual process of outmaneuvering these Backroom-boarded deities isn’t the least bit intensifying, no thanks to the game’s irrelevant and, quite frankly, cheesy soundtrack. But it tries to capitalize on what should be a perfect pairing — and that counts for something.

The bad news is that The Backroom: Expedition just isn’t that long. In fact, by the time you soak up the first batch of corridors and establish your footing, the “story” essentially draws its curtain and leaves you wanting more. With nothing but a vague message and a fragment of a hope of unlocking another chapter, it pretty much just leaves you hanging in the wind and without the full experience. And that’s not great, given that it’s considerably more expensive than the average Backrooms game. Does a short twenty-minute stint cut it? Eh, not really, no.

Verdict

The Backrooms: Expedition makes a solid effort to implement those same acclaimed elements into its world as seen in countless other games via its short but highly detailed liminal locale. The only thing that bogs this one down, of course, is its lack of depth and dynamism. With little more than a twenty-minute “glimpse” to work with, I just can’t justify the price tag  at the time of writing. Granted, while it isn’t a pricey Backroom-like chapter, the asking price doesn’t quite match the value of the expedition, so to speak.

With all of the above out in the open, The Backrooms: Expedition does generate a surprisingly compelling argument for why we continue to shroud the internet myth with such high praise and support. And again, while it’s no secret that you could quite easily pick up just about any other Backrooms-like episode from the bottom of the barrel and still experience the same kind of journey, the fact is, The Backrooms: Expedition does at least manage to get everything right. Does it do anything more to exceed its own potential? Not really, no. That said, it does have a lot to show for the sheer amount of homework that it took under its belt prior to joining the fold. And I think that counts for something.

Of course, if you enjoy The Backrooms and its ever-expanding pit of bottomless lore and liminal spaces, then it’s highly likely that you’ll find all that you know and crave in The Backrooms: Expedition’s familiar chambers. If, however, you’re hoping for something with more depth and pizzazz, then you might want to consider your options before taking the plunge into this particular tribute to The Backrooms.