I’m a sucker for irregular games, and few seem to break the mold as unashamedly as Loretta.
Set in the 1940s, Loretta puts players in the role of the eponymous “heroine,” in a game specifically advertised as having no heroes. Indeed, Loretta is a narrative adventure game that asks players to spin a web of lies and deceit in pursuit of Loretta’s husband’s lucrative life insurance policy, in a plot inspired by hatred and betrayal. By all accounts, Loretta’s marriage isn’t a particularly healthy one, and the game deals with social issues from the period, against a backdrop of poverty and societal pressure.
Loretta’s husband wrestles with financial woes while both partners struggle with their unsuccessful lives, forced to leave a lucrative life in New York behind for a dilapidated farmhouse. Throughout the game, you’ll learn just how awful Loretta’s husband has been, and you’ll be able to decide just how far Loretta goes in exacting revenge. Will you stick to morally dubious larceny, or will Loretta flirt with full-blown grisly depravity?
Developer Yakov Butuzoff touts the game’s inspiration proudly, drawing upon film noir, American artists Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper, alongside storytellers like Alfred Hitchcock, Philip Ridley, Stephen King and Vladimir Nabokov. Misery loves company it seems, and you can choose just how much misery is on the docket. The game has multiple story branches with divergent endings, as you navigate Loretta’s own personal hell.
The game is available now on Steam for just $15 (10% off right now), and Butuzoff noted his intent to bring the game to console platforms like Xbox in the future too. If you’re a fan of the weird and macabre, Loretta might be just what the doctor ordered.
Be sure to take a look at our upcoming PC games and upcoming Xbox games lists for more great future titles.
