![]() ![]() It was only his first day as the vice president of the Sunrider Academy student council when the unreasonable class president appointed him to be the school club manager. Usually when sitting down to play a game, there is a general idea of what’s in store, how the game will approach the player, what mechanics will be in place, the overall narrative, etc.You are Kayto Shields, an ordinary man thrown into an extraordinary adventure. Night in the Woods was a different story. ![]() Besides being a narrative-based adventure game with heavy focus on dialogue, Night in the Woods turned out to be more heartfelt than first imagined. When Night in the Woods was in development it looked to be some sort of mystery centered around the premise of something weird seems to be happening in your hometown. And while something strange does happen, it’s not what the overarching theme is focused on. It’s more of a prop, as well as a blending of the theme that the ‘going’s on’ seem to encompass. Night in the Woods, more than anything, does a fantastic job conveying the importance of relationship, no matter how it looks. It shows us that while we may feel alone at times, or completely out of our minds with nothing to grasp on to, we also unwittingly surround ourselves with those in our lives that will stand by us whether good or bad. Night in the Woods knows exactly what it’s getting across and does it in a way that doesn’t feel out of the ordinary, even if everyone in the game is an animal-person. Night in the Woods shows relationships in a way that most video games go for but can’t seem to stick the landing. While they’re a slew of games that could be listed off exploring the idea of relationship, Night in the Woods is a breath of fresh air. It might not have the emotional weight other games might have, but has the air-of-reality that a lot don’t. Instead of scenes of ‘cry here’ or ‘be afraid here,’ it’s about focusing on the conversation Mae (the main character) is a part of and how she herself is important to the dialog. Starting out, Night in the Woods gives a simple introduction of Mae (cat-girl) coming home from having freshly dropped out of college and in a place of stagnation with her life. ![]() She is obviously dealing with some personal feelings and this becomes more apparent as the game goes on. What is so fantastic about Mae from the get go, is how comfortable she is with herself, she seems genuine, and not in the sense of she seems like a real person. She’s genuine in that she knows herself and presents herself accordingly, albeit a bit inappropriately at times. ![]() This is what allows for the focus on dialog/relationship in Night in the Woods: by just having script, the player can give voice and agency to the cast of characters, each being equally wonderful in their own way. It’s the dialogue that is the real star of this game and what Night in the Woods excels at. It’s easily relatable and anyone who has been in their young twenties or going through them can understand the woes that Mae and co. It also shows the more adult side of life, by peppering in scenes of older folks in town talking about their own lives and the problems that accompany work, home-life, etc. Mae’s parents being the largest representation of this. Having not just Mae be fully realized, but everyone else as well, creates a dichotomy of relationship that breathes. It gives life to the world, where there otherwise might be none.įor a game with no voice acting, the dialog is top notch, the cast of characters all fit the appropriate ages respectively and this can be seen in just the way they talk. It didn’t really hit until a certain scene with Gregg, and I’m not sure that scene would have even happened had I not made a certain choice, but it left a heavy feeling on the chest. It was a moment of contemplation, realizing Night in the Woods had more going on under the hood than previously thought.Īt a certain point in the game, after having picked up the rhythm of - Mae wakes up, talks to Mom, screws around for the day - I accidentally made a choice. I was still getting the hang of the game, and while visiting Gregg at the Snack Falcon, proceeded to initiate hanging out with him for the day, which was not the intended outcome of the conversation. Mae was supposed to hang out with Bea for the day, having caused all sorts of drunk debauchery the night before and needing heavily to make up for it. Gregg and Mae proceeded to make their way to the woods (which is a dope little ride) and decided to play a game where they stab each other (why does Gregg have two knives?). ![]()
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