Thanks to resident tech guy Angus, there’s even a fully fledged mini-game within Mae’s computer, evocative of the original Legend of Zelda with its secular dungeon design and combat. From pizza grabbing to knife play-fighting, even reaching for a drink from the vending machine, these little interactive visual nodes give the game a personality that the characters and their Animal Crossing-esque charm only serve to further. Night in the Woods, I think, purposely captivates your imagination to achieve this brilliant puppetry of preconceived expectations.ĭemon Tower: Night in the Woods’ impressive game-within-a-game.Ī testament to the level of polish attained, Night of the Woods provides an abundance of little bells and whistles that supplement the simplistic, narrative-driven gameplay. From the moment you spot the missing person notice you know something is afoot. Halfway through my play-through, I was thinking of all the possible outcomes, whether I was overthinking the outcomes and whether the game was trying to implicitly make me think of something else. The story drops you in with an ambiguous setup that sets the tone for the rest of the game and draws you into the mystery vibe. I won’t spoil the experience, as it’s something you should discover yourself, but the end of the third chapter presents a riveting curve-ball, shifting from meandering melancholy into a faced paced, tense final quarter. “What’s the point of going to College if you don’t learn useful s**t?”Ī constant drip feed of anticipation, Night in the Woods reminds me of Campo Santo’s Firewatch, another independent title known for its visuals and narrative, in the way that it builds throughout to an interesting climax that I could not have expected. Being English I have no connection to those factors whatsoever, and I still related to Mae as an angsty, somewhat troubled young adult. Partner this with the charming character designs and you’ve got a world and story that feels real and not just another level.Ĭhloi Rad, in her review for the earlier released PC version, mentions the accuracy of political factors in America that this game touches on. T he sounds of cars passing, birds playing and leaves blowing in the wind draws you into the world whilst you stroll through the streets, and the game perfects the mundane with frequent, dynamic little events that are in some instances completely optional to the main game. Thankfully, the vibrant presentation of the game, a meld of the beautiful visuals and stunning animation quality (I truly felt I was watching a cartoon throughout) meant that there was never a dull moment when walking from screen to screen. The tantalising threads of intrigue and exposition dotted throughout each day in among passing comments and thought bubbles, combine with the frequently eerie setting to create an engrossing story throughout.Įncapsulating the tedium of quiet village life, Night in the Wood’s pacing is very purposefully meandering, and can almost edge into monotony, especially in some of the soft-platforming dream sequences. Re-uniting with former friends and trying to think of what’s next, the game structures itself nicely into a seemingly normal, mundane daily routine, a Groundhog Day-esque, repetitious trance that is Mae’s life as she struggles to come to terms with it. Night in the Woods puts you in control of Mae Borowski, a young adult college dropout returning home to the dying, middle of nowhere town that is Possum Springs. It’s an atmospheric, emotionally engaging experience, culminating in a shocking crescendo that I tried (and failed) ever so hard throughout to predict. Night in the Woods, the critically acclaimed adventure game from developer Infinite Fall, has made its way onto Switch this month.
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