Cape West is a game that’s pretty close to its originator but falls flat in ways so mundane it becomes incredibly frustrating.

The character driven behind the scenes view of a thrilling crime drama just isn’t there, at least not as much or as well done. Betty and Charles could be removed entirely with minimal changes to the story. Will is basically nonexistent despite the key role they play in the mystery and how much further his character could’ve gone. Dylans later twist is so heavily foreshadowed I think it completely detracts from every scene he shows up in before and after that twist is revealed. Mila, the 19 year old girl you met from the first game who had just woken up from a 10 year coma 6 months ago is now attending a fine arts school by herself, somehow, I guess.

And it’s sad too, cause Milas appearance marks the beginning of one of the best parts of the game, maybe the only area I think outshines the original. Hotel Dusks exploration of the melancholy feelings that come with Christmas was incomplete, in my opinion. I didn’t dislike it, it’s just that in game all of Kyles interactions with the subject come from interacting and talking to children. This makes a lot of sense, obviously a lot of the weird gray feelings people get from Christmas comes from putting on a performance of happiness for the children in their lives, I get that. But at the same time very little focus is given to those themes, there’s very little adult engagement with the topic. By and large the Christmas element of Hotel Dusk is putting up a Christmas tree for a kid because her dad didn’t. The interactions you have with that dad where you talk about Christmas are so short and brief, it just didn’t really feel fully explored to me.

But Cape West completely and fully brought it all together, in my opinion. Besides the brief return of Mila, the rest of Christmas is a pretty lackluster holiday for Kyle. His dinner plans get cancelled, he didn’t get gifts for anyone else, and he spends the night drinking with a friend after another one bailed on him. It captures those conflicting feelings of not really caring for Christmas, thinking it’s just another day of the week but also wanting to find reasons to celebrate, finding connections with people even when the plans you make with others keep falling apart. It’s all adults interacting with the holiday but not really celebrating it, remembering past winters alone, and that fits a lot better within the world of Hotel Dusk/Cape West than just putting up a tree and everyone smiling.

Unfortunately, though, besides how much I love the game’s 8th chapter, I just don’t have much to say otherwise. It’s just overall much more empty feeling a game, solving mysteries in Kyle’s past I honestly don’t think needed answering. Considering this game never even made it to the states due to Cing’s bankruptcy, I assume that this game was rushed and little underdone. It could’ve been something better, maybe, but it’s not.

This review will be talking about both Hotel Dusk and Last Window as what makes them such great titles are shared between both of them.

These titles are some of the most grounded and personal works I have ever had the pleasure of going through. By personal, I do not mean something that relates to me specifically, but rather that the ideas and stories of these titles are something applicable to all of our real lives.

In both games there is this mystery that has plagued Kyle Hyde for several years, or even most of his life. Hotel Dusk and Last Window take place late in December of the years 1979 and 1980, respectively and there’s this very unique sense of urgency to solve these cases before the new year begins. At the end of every year, we look back on it, at all of it’s victories and failures, then we hope for a better future, and there’s also a sense to wrap everything from the the year up. These games manifest that sense of urgency into reality. In Hotel Dusk, everyone related to the case you’re investigating is in the same area but wait just one day and at least one will certainly leave and the puzzle will be left unfinished forever. In Last Window, the location of the case you’re investigating this time is going to be demolished in just two weeks, so you must solve the mystery before then and of course before the new year begins.

This very human concept of moving on from the past and the games general realistic setting is backed up by it’s lovable cast. Most of the characters relate to these themes, having these mysteries that have plagued them with expiry dates on the solution, and as you solve the mysteries of these side characters you slowly solve bits and parts of your own. Adding to the realistic feel of the games is the dialogue and character art. The dialogue and writing flows extremely well and naturally, it really does feel like these characters are actual people and the brilliant animations and movements done through rotoscoping makes these characters feel alive all the more.

The music is another aspect adding to this with less technological instruments and rather much more tangible ones befitting of games taking place in the late 70s and early 80s such as saxophones, pianos, drums, and the like.

All in all thoroughly enjoyable titles, I probably could’ve written a better review but it’s 12:30 am, I’m tired, but I also wanted to get my love for these games out there and did not want to wait until the morning!!
obligatory RIP Cing

Hotel Dusk will always have more personal significance as it was first and because of when it came out but this has been growing in my favor with each playthrough.

wonderful contained setting and cast of characters that ends up feeling larger than the first due to the stakes involved. the music is once again absolutely incredible with this possibly taking the crown for my favorite of the two.

hopefully the Another Code remakes did well enough for the Kyle Hyde saga to see something too.