Night in the Woods

Game Title: Night in the Woods
Released: February 21, 2017
Game Length: 9 Hours
Grade: C+

Expectations: What a surprise! Epic Games released this little gem for free on December 27, 2020. So I went and decided against playing Oxenfree or Crypt of the Necrodancer and chose this little Kickstarter Project by Infinite Fall. You'll notice its quick abbreviation "IF" on the splash screen. Initially I voted against playing this game for one reason or another. Perhaps it was how its stylized art made it appear too pretentious. Or it could have been how a number of posts made it sound like a masterpiece without specifying any sort of details. In any case, I was ready to try this game out.

Reality: You play as a cat who came home after the death of her grandfather. As a 20-year old dropping out of college, you sort of try drifting back into your old routine with the gang. You never held a steady job, never had any desire to do anything with your life, and never resolved any of your issues growing up. Everyone in town that you grew up with still adore and respect you in their own unique way. The gang recruit you back as the bass guitarist and decide to hangout with you late each evening. Of course, not everything is the way you once knew. Even if it was only a couple years, your friends all hold steady jobs, your parents are holding back on telling you about their own issues, and the whole town seems to be falling apart with a number of stores closing up shop.

Characters: As much as I adore you talking to every person in town and being invited on wild adventures, I don't like the fact that certain events are tied to certain days. You can only visit the guy looking through the telescope every two days, certain groups hanging out in the tunnels or outside the city will be only available in later chapters, and there is no telling when you will encounter the people by the church. I do like the fact you hear new things each time you visit them. I don't like spending a couple minutes walking or climbing to the spot only to find out there is nothing new. There is a little bit of leeway when it comes to key events tied to your friends, but I can't help feel like I missed out on some important events over the 12 days you play through in the game.

I also didn't quite approve on the representation of the characters in the group either. Gregg and Angus are both in a gay relationship. Mae, the protagonist, is a lesbian. Their relationships never reach an intimate level in the game, but it definitely confused me on their genders. For some dumb reason, I kept thinking the main character was a boy. Her outfit, demeanor, enjoyment in "boy" activities, aggressive attitude, and quick wit just never fit her profile. Perhaps it's because if the situation was reversed, it would be hard for me to see a boy being interested in make-up, outfits, and people's feelings. I relate to how difficult it can be opening up your problems to your friends. I cannot relate to any of the events that take place. Just to name one example: Who in the world would find it "fun" to fight each other with knives? It is as if the game developed these oddball "friend" moments from a sitcom or something. I just couldn't believe in this 20-year old girl who sleeps no less than 10 hours and wakes up at 3 in the afternoon everyday just to get into all sorts of illegal and morally questionable situations with her friends.

Dialogue: Where the game excels at is the dialogue. I don't believe anyone in their right mind would be able to respond to each other in such a high-paced conversation, but there are a ton of places I laughed out loud to how ridiculous some of these "teenager talks" sounded. Stuff like "I have dolphins running in my system" when she was referencing endorphins. Sometimes these conversations work, while other times they don't. If you aren't paying close enough attention, there will be occasions when you'll encounter unexpectedly long pauses between the characters' speech bubbles. This awkwardness will have you questioning their sanity as they stare at each other like a sitcom without a laugh track. Some conversations can reach a very uncomfortable level when they start hurling insults at each other out of the blue. This isn't like friends suddenly opening up about their problems. They actively dismiss each other's opinions like it's an everyday activity.

Story: The major drawback of the game - the main reason why I don't recommend other people playing it - is how the story folds in itself. The first chapter is the best chapter because you get to go all Guitar Hero with your pals, play a fun little video game on your laptop, hear from people who knew your past, have some interesting dreams, and learn trinkets of knowledge about your family. The second chapter expands on this when you are able to reach places outside the main town area. The third chapter is when it gets really fascinating when you see "a ghost" take someone away. Your friends assist you in Scooby-Doo fashion by looking at old abandoned sites that would reveal a clue or two about this local mystery. Then it abruptly gives you some... crazy thing... I don't know how to explain it. I don't even think the game knows what it was trying to convey. Let's just say the game ends on a very depressing, horror-like resolution that all the characters shrug off in the end like it didn't even happen. You don't even get to play the final band song with each other as the credits roll immediately after the suggestion.

 

1-4-2021