Night In The Woods, will I'll be referering as NitW from now on, is... An experience. A totally, amazing, and worth-playing experience.
I finished this game some hours ago, and I was puzzled to think what to write or feel about the game, so I decided to think about it while I played the extra's for like an hour or so, and I can't say I can put into words everything this game is or made me feel, but I think I'm ready to try.
NitW is a game about Mae Borrowski, a self-proclaimed adult of 20 y/o, who cames back to her hometown called Possum Springs after dropping out of college. Now, back in town, he gets in touch again with his childhood friends Bea, Angus & Gregg, and prepares herself to witness all the changes Possum Springs underwent in her absence while trying to make some peace of mind.
The synopsis may sound way too juvenile to a lot of people, but to me, it's one of those stories that nail that type of young-teen drama without falling in unnecessary clichés and tackling actually serious topics in a pretty mature way. Someone would argue there a bit of edge put in some dialogue, but in the setting of NitW I'd say it's fine the way it is.
Talking about it, before getting into the meat of the game, let's get superficial first. The artistic choices of the game are top-notch, and I love how the game looks. It isn't super-detailed, but its simplistic yet creative outlook gives it a really nature and artsty touch, and you can really see how much the creators cared for their project, because this game sure does look beautiful. I'm not an expert on this subject, so my wording may sound a little off, but the colors, shading and contrast make the scenarios in the game really good-loking, to the point you're hypnotized by the beauty of the game. I wasn't able to stop screen-shooting the hell out of the game because there are soooo many scenes that look straight out beautiful, and it enhances a lot in the dream sequences, where the artists go crazy with the design and shading to make them look spectacular. They play with the color scheme and use of visuals that make Possum Spring give that warm vibe it's supposed to transmit.
Talking about it atleast to me, I could never get bored while walking the streets of Possum Spring. While you advance on the story, you unlock more places of the town you can visit, as the church or the outskirts of it. While the game doesn't let you explore much more places rather than Possum Springs, and it isn't the biggest setting, the game really takes exploits what it has to offer and uses every corner of the town on it's benefit. Wether you're exploring, jumping or talking to the townsfolk, you can spend more than expected exploring everything Possum Spring has to offer each day, and you will not get bored of listening to the citizens of the town ranting about anything on their daily lifes, and oh boy does the game reward you if you explore the town. If you are constant with what the citizens of the town are up to each day you can keep up with their stories, and these stories, for small they might be, the games does a wonderful job at getting invested in what business they are into, and when the game ends, you will be rewarded by being able to see what these people have accomplished in the end of the game, and what you've done to the town if will be a topic of conversation with other characters, even something as simple as keeping some rats fed in a small, hidden apartment will trigger a new conversation at the end of the game with Bea or Gregg, and it's those type of details that make it so satisfying to discover whatever mysteries are hidden in this so happy mining town. It's just so enjoyable and enriching to just jump wherever you want and discover new details here and there that it made me want to do it each new day it passed.
OH, btw, before I forget, the minigames are sick! Even the most dumb ones are really fun to do, and man, oh man, how couldn't I talk about friggin' Demontower? I'm no fan of these type of games, I just suck at them, but I kid you not when I say I was addicted with it, every time I logged on Mae's computer I couldn't help but play Demontower for a bit, and despite being pretty harsh at some levels, I think it kept the perfect line with difficulty and fairness (I mean, If I of all people could beat it over a couple of tries...). It's just amazing how enjoyable these little, optional and skippable minigames are.
But now, let's get into what's interesting; the story and characters. The story tackles several themes, but the main one would be the travel to adulthood and the regret of staying behind your peers. The pressure of still feeling like a kid while your friends are working and trying to fulfill their dreams is something we all can agree we suffered atleast once, and is pretty much what Mae goes through, specially when she collides with Beatrice Santello, her childhood best friend and one of my favorite dynamics this game has to offer. In NitW, you can either hang out with Gregg or Bea, and depending with who you hang out more, you trigger a scene or other at the end of the game, and if you hang out with Bea, it's really interesting to see the contrast that Mae has to offer to her life. While Bea is working a full-time job for her father so they can keep living under a roof, Mae is unemployed and pretty much hangouts with teenagers all day. Mae is pretty much still a kid in heart, while Bea isn't, and is that contrast that's so interesting to see in their friendship when they reunite after so long what kept me hooked since the beginning. Bea offers a more matured perspective in Mae's life, which more than once brought up many problems in their relationship, while Mae offers a more young and innocent perspective in Bea's stressful life, which make both of them stick together more than once. Their chemistry together make a lot of scenes a lot more funnier or entertaining than they should be, and they're a duo you can't help but love.
About the rest of the characters, they're pretty decent. Gregg's really iconic and I'm excited to watch his route on YT to see more development to his character, & Angus is probably one of the most likable characters in the game along with Gregg, and their romance is pretty good. I'm very happy they kept a gay couple so naturally like this, they're just so cute together and feel so... Realistic is almost scary. The main group, basically, is pretty good, and the side-cast fulfill their roles well, since it's your decision to keep up with the story-lines of the townsfolk or not. Shoutout to Mae's mother, her character is pretty good despite not being a main character and her scene in the field with Mae is probably one of my favorites in the game.
And now, to end it all... The story. The story is good, it progresses smoothly and seeing the main group's shenanigans is really fun, although I think my main grip with the game must be the final straw of the story. I won't delve to much into it, but I think they tried to shove a bigger story than intended at the last stretch, and the external conflict is resolved pretty quickly. Now, I don't think this is a game-breaker, NitW's stronges point is how it handles the characters internal conflict (Mae's problem at keeping a normal life without seeing everything as "shapes", Bea's unfulfilled dreams because of her mother's death, Gregg & Angus relationship...) and the story excels at fleshing out these character arcs and giving meaning to them to the point you can find them relatable to real life problems we all have or had at some point. However, I must admit they tried a little to hard at presenting an external conflict way bigger than the plot they try to cover, and while it had some highlights, I won't remember this game because of those dudes at appeared at the last 2 hours of the game and kinda did nothing. Atleast they provided a bit of context to some plot-threads that were build-up at the start of the game and added more to Mae's conflict and character, but yeah, you get me.
Don't get me wrong though, I love the game's conclusion. While the external conflict is executed poorly at the end, the last conversation the group held at the epilogue leaves one of the most positive messages out there and is pretty much what the game builds up to;
"There's nothing that can save me forever, but while it saves me now, I'm okay with it." and that's what NitW story is about; how the little things matter and how much should you project into the present, instead of worrying about the inevitable future, you should focus on what each day presents you with every morning, every little conversation, every detail, each step you take is something that may not save you forever, but sure will save you for the time being, and that's enough.
Some of the things I liked/disliked about this game which I haven't mentioned yet:
.-Not that I dislike this, but it's funny that the fact the characters are humanoid animals don't have anything to do with the story and is never talked about nor brought up as a gag even. Makes me feel the story would be the same if they were just humans, but I guess it was for the sake of a more artistic choice and I respect it, they look pretty good.
.-Some characters can be kinda forgettable if you don't hang out with them enough times or don't interact with them, which is a pity.
.-Uh. That's it I think. I literally talked about everything else I think about this game in this long-ass review lmfao.
In conclusion, I love Night in the Woods. It presents one of the most mundane & human experiences brought by these quirky yet relatable characters that I will not easily forget in a long, long time.
Stats:
—Favorite Character: Mae & Bea.—
—Favorite Scene: The couch scene with Mae & Bea.—
—Score: 4/5 = Amazing (9/10).—
I finished this game some hours ago, and I was puzzled to think what to write or feel about the game, so I decided to think about it while I played the extra's for like an hour or so, and I can't say I can put into words everything this game is or made me feel, but I think I'm ready to try.
NitW is a game about Mae Borrowski, a self-proclaimed adult of 20 y/o, who cames back to her hometown called Possum Springs after dropping out of college. Now, back in town, he gets in touch again with his childhood friends Bea, Angus & Gregg, and prepares herself to witness all the changes Possum Springs underwent in her absence while trying to make some peace of mind.
The synopsis may sound way too juvenile to a lot of people, but to me, it's one of those stories that nail that type of young-teen drama without falling in unnecessary clichés and tackling actually serious topics in a pretty mature way. Someone would argue there a bit of edge put in some dialogue, but in the setting of NitW I'd say it's fine the way it is.
Talking about it, before getting into the meat of the game, let's get superficial first. The artistic choices of the game are top-notch, and I love how the game looks. It isn't super-detailed, but its simplistic yet creative outlook gives it a really nature and artsty touch, and you can really see how much the creators cared for their project, because this game sure does look beautiful. I'm not an expert on this subject, so my wording may sound a little off, but the colors, shading and contrast make the scenarios in the game really good-loking, to the point you're hypnotized by the beauty of the game. I wasn't able to stop screen-shooting the hell out of the game because there are soooo many scenes that look straight out beautiful, and it enhances a lot in the dream sequences, where the artists go crazy with the design and shading to make them look spectacular. They play with the color scheme and use of visuals that make Possum Spring give that warm vibe it's supposed to transmit.
Talking about it atleast to me, I could never get bored while walking the streets of Possum Spring. While you advance on the story, you unlock more places of the town you can visit, as the church or the outskirts of it. While the game doesn't let you explore much more places rather than Possum Springs, and it isn't the biggest setting, the game really takes exploits what it has to offer and uses every corner of the town on it's benefit. Wether you're exploring, jumping or talking to the townsfolk, you can spend more than expected exploring everything Possum Spring has to offer each day, and you will not get bored of listening to the citizens of the town ranting about anything on their daily lifes, and oh boy does the game reward you if you explore the town. If you are constant with what the citizens of the town are up to each day you can keep up with their stories, and these stories, for small they might be, the games does a wonderful job at getting invested in what business they are into, and when the game ends, you will be rewarded by being able to see what these people have accomplished in the end of the game, and what you've done to the town if will be a topic of conversation with other characters, even something as simple as keeping some rats fed in a small, hidden apartment will trigger a new conversation at the end of the game with Bea or Gregg, and it's those type of details that make it so satisfying to discover whatever mysteries are hidden in this so happy mining town. It's just so enjoyable and enriching to just jump wherever you want and discover new details here and there that it made me want to do it each new day it passed.
OH, btw, before I forget, the minigames are sick! Even the most dumb ones are really fun to do, and man, oh man, how couldn't I talk about friggin' Demontower? I'm no fan of these type of games, I just suck at them, but I kid you not when I say I was addicted with it, every time I logged on Mae's computer I couldn't help but play Demontower for a bit, and despite being pretty harsh at some levels, I think it kept the perfect line with difficulty and fairness (I mean, If I of all people could beat it over a couple of tries...). It's just amazing how enjoyable these little, optional and skippable minigames are.
But now, let's get into what's interesting; the story and characters. The story tackles several themes, but the main one would be the travel to adulthood and the regret of staying behind your peers. The pressure of still feeling like a kid while your friends are working and trying to fulfill their dreams is something we all can agree we suffered atleast once, and is pretty much what Mae goes through, specially when she collides with Beatrice Santello, her childhood best friend and one of my favorite dynamics this game has to offer. In NitW, you can either hang out with Gregg or Bea, and depending with who you hang out more, you trigger a scene or other at the end of the game, and if you hang out with Bea, it's really interesting to see the contrast that Mae has to offer to her life. While Bea is working a full-time job for her father so they can keep living under a roof, Mae is unemployed and pretty much hangouts with teenagers all day. Mae is pretty much still a kid in heart, while Bea isn't, and is that contrast that's so interesting to see in their friendship when they reunite after so long what kept me hooked since the beginning. Bea offers a more matured perspective in Mae's life, which more than once brought up many problems in their relationship, while Mae offers a more young and innocent perspective in Bea's stressful life, which make both of them stick together more than once. Their chemistry together make a lot of scenes a lot more funnier or entertaining than they should be, and they're a duo you can't help but love.
About the rest of the characters, they're pretty decent. Gregg's really iconic and I'm excited to watch his route on YT to see more development to his character, & Angus is probably one of the most likable characters in the game along with Gregg, and their romance is pretty good. I'm very happy they kept a gay couple so naturally like this, they're just so cute together and feel so... Realistic is almost scary. The main group, basically, is pretty good, and the side-cast fulfill their roles well, since it's your decision to keep up with the story-lines of the townsfolk or not. Shoutout to Mae's mother, her character is pretty good despite not being a main character and her scene in the field with Mae is probably one of my favorites in the game.
And now, to end it all... The story. The story is good, it progresses smoothly and seeing the main group's shenanigans is really fun, although I think my main grip with the game must be the final straw of the story. I won't delve to much into it, but I think they tried to shove a bigger story than intended at the last stretch, and the external conflict is resolved pretty quickly. Now, I don't think this is a game-breaker, NitW's stronges point is how it handles the characters internal conflict (Mae's problem at keeping a normal life without seeing everything as "shapes", Bea's unfulfilled dreams because of her mother's death, Gregg & Angus relationship...) and the story excels at fleshing out these character arcs and giving meaning to them to the point you can find them relatable to real life problems we all have or had at some point. However, I must admit they tried a little to hard at presenting an external conflict way bigger than the plot they try to cover, and while it had some highlights, I won't remember this game because of those dudes at appeared at the last 2 hours of the game and kinda did nothing. Atleast they provided a bit of context to some plot-threads that were build-up at the start of the game and added more to Mae's conflict and character, but yeah, you get me.
Don't get me wrong though, I love the game's conclusion. While the external conflict is executed poorly at the end, the last conversation the group held at the epilogue leaves one of the most positive messages out there and is pretty much what the game builds up to;
"There's nothing that can save me forever, but while it saves me now, I'm okay with it." and that's what NitW story is about; how the little things matter and how much should you project into the present, instead of worrying about the inevitable future, you should focus on what each day presents you with every morning, every little conversation, every detail, each step you take is something that may not save you forever, but sure will save you for the time being, and that's enough.
Some of the things I liked/disliked about this game which I haven't mentioned yet:
.-Not that I dislike this, but it's funny that the fact the characters are humanoid animals don't have anything to do with the story and is never talked about nor brought up as a gag even. Makes me feel the story would be the same if they were just humans, but I guess it was for the sake of a more artistic choice and I respect it, they look pretty good.
.-Some characters can be kinda forgettable if you don't hang out with them enough times or don't interact with them, which is a pity.
.-Uh. That's it I think. I literally talked about everything else I think about this game in this long-ass review lmfao.
In conclusion, I love Night in the Woods. It presents one of the most mundane & human experiences brought by these quirky yet relatable characters that I will not easily forget in a long, long time.
Stats:
—Favorite Character: Mae & Bea.—
—Favorite Scene: The couch scene with Mae & Bea.—
—Score: 4/5 = Amazing (9/10).—