Gone Home was one of the first great "walking sims" and Fullbright continues to build upon that legacy with Tacoma. In Tacoma you explore a seemingly empty space station in order to learn what happen to the crew. The main way you experience the story is through augmented reality (AR) which portrays the crew as holograms. You can follow these holograms around both listening to what the crew was saying at the time as well as read their personal messages. The story may drive the experience but the level of interaction is equally impressive. This game will suck you in with its air of mystery while giving you freedom to explore and progress at your own pace.
You play as Amy who has been sent to retrieve Tacoma's AI system for Venturous. Venturous is the company that owns Tacoma and it becomes clear early on why they sent you. Apparently just three days before your arrival something went terribly wrong. The ship is running out of air and communication with the outside is down. As you explore the ship you'll get to see how the crew reacted to and decided to handle themselves under these dire circumstances. It is a tense journey that will keep you guessing till the very end.
There are six crew members aboard Tacoma and each one has there own story to tell. You get a feel for there personalities just by listening to the various AR recordings but you learn more as you probe their messages and explore their personal quarters. The main AR segments are quite interesting because they track multiple people who aren't always next to each other. So you'll have to pick one set of characters to follow and then rewind the recording to see what the other characters are experiencing. By reading their personal messages you'll learn more about their relationships and what has been on their mind as of lately.
Moving around the ship there is a myriad of items to interact with. Most items you'll come across are completely mundane and are there just for the sake of immersion. That said these pouches of liquor, tubes of soap, and coffee mugs all have a little bit of personality to them. However the game will reward those who explore every drawer and locker with personal notes and materials that add to each characters story. There are even a handful of fun interactive games and puzzles (so to speak) that do a great job of breaking things up and really serve to remind you that this kind of experience can only truly be enjoyed through the lens of a videogame.
I wasn't sure if Tacoma could bring the same kind of pleasure as Gone Home did but I happy to say it absolutely does. Again you are dropped into a very immersive and interactable world that feels as realistic as can be expected of a futuristic game. The writing is wonderful as it builds up interesting stories for each member of the cast. As soon as you find out that the Tacoma crew is in danger at the beginning of the game you are compelled follow through as see how events unfold. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery and likes to leave no stones unturned will enjoy their time exploring the Tacoma space station.