You play as a woman staying at a cabin in the woods in Western Norway with her son, Espen. She wakes up one day and Espen is gone, but she sees a mysterious boat leaving the dock behind the cabin. She follows and comes across an abandoned village along with some of Espen's belongings. Now, it's up to her to find her son through the woods while evading whatever monsters live there.
Visuals
I was really impressed with the setting of Through the Woods. It looks super real and lovely. The character models...not so much. But I'm here for the atmosphere, not the people, so I can forgive it. Plus, you mainly see the mother from behind, which is not bad. Her animations are a bit awkward, but it's not the worst I've seen. And, like I said, the world looks fantastic.
Most of the game is played in the dark, which makes it harder to see where you're going and what's going on, but that also makes it creepier, since you know something is hiding out there. The monsters are pretty scary looking when you manage to get a clear glimpse of them. There are also some creepy surprises scattered throughout.
Sound Effects + Music
Through the Woods is fully voice acted. The prologue has Espen and his mother talking to each other, and then the main game has a voice over of the mother explaining what happened and how she's feeling. Music is very minimal, mostly on the menu, but it does a good job of setting the tone.
The monster sounds are really unsettling, but necessary to give you a heads up that danger is near. It reminded me a bit of Little Nightmares in that regard, since the sounds in that game are what scared me the most.
Gameplay + Controls
Through the Woods is essentially a walking sim. You just walk or run through the woods. You can move the camera around as well, which also directs the flashlight when you're using it. I have to say that the physics aren't the best here. There are obviously obstacles on the paths, since it is a realistic forest. But you'll just glide right over boulders and fallen logs. Unless they're part of the barrier, which is impossible to tell until you're already there. That's how I got killed the first time.
The gameplay is pretty straightforward if you can stay on the correct path. There aren't many alternate routes, except for ones with collectibles that ultimately come to a dead end, forcing you to turn around anyway. It's extremely linear, since it is story and atmosphere focused. The little bit of gameplay is just for immersion.
The game ran really well up until about two-thirds in. As soon as I was in the building with the wolves, it started crawling and stuttering, making it impossible to get past them. I had closed and reloaded, but that didn't help. But then I tried again, and it was fine. I don't know what was up with that.
Replayability
Through the Woods is only about three hours long, so it's easy to play through again for missing achievements. It does have chapter selection though, so it's not really needed if you only missed them in certain places. It's not a game that I'd want to play again, because I was scared enough the first time, and the story didn't impact me the way I was anticipating.
Overall
I liked Through the Woods. It was genuinely scary for me, but I am a baby. I didn't connect with the story, but I did appreciate that it went in directions I was not expecting at all.
Visuals
I was really impressed with the setting of Through the Woods. It looks super real and lovely. The character models...not so much. But I'm here for the atmosphere, not the people, so I can forgive it. Plus, you mainly see the mother from behind, which is not bad. Her animations are a bit awkward, but it's not the worst I've seen. And, like I said, the world looks fantastic.
Most of the game is played in the dark, which makes it harder to see where you're going and what's going on, but that also makes it creepier, since you know something is hiding out there. The monsters are pretty scary looking when you manage to get a clear glimpse of them. There are also some creepy surprises scattered throughout.
Sound Effects + Music
Through the Woods is fully voice acted. The prologue has Espen and his mother talking to each other, and then the main game has a voice over of the mother explaining what happened and how she's feeling. Music is very minimal, mostly on the menu, but it does a good job of setting the tone.
The monster sounds are really unsettling, but necessary to give you a heads up that danger is near. It reminded me a bit of Little Nightmares in that regard, since the sounds in that game are what scared me the most.
Gameplay + Controls
Through the Woods is essentially a walking sim. You just walk or run through the woods. You can move the camera around as well, which also directs the flashlight when you're using it. I have to say that the physics aren't the best here. There are obviously obstacles on the paths, since it is a realistic forest. But you'll just glide right over boulders and fallen logs. Unless they're part of the barrier, which is impossible to tell until you're already there. That's how I got killed the first time.
The gameplay is pretty straightforward if you can stay on the correct path. There aren't many alternate routes, except for ones with collectibles that ultimately come to a dead end, forcing you to turn around anyway. It's extremely linear, since it is story and atmosphere focused. The little bit of gameplay is just for immersion.
The game ran really well up until about two-thirds in. As soon as I was in the building with the wolves, it started crawling and stuttering, making it impossible to get past them. I had closed and reloaded, but that didn't help. But then I tried again, and it was fine. I don't know what was up with that.
Replayability
Through the Woods is only about three hours long, so it's easy to play through again for missing achievements. It does have chapter selection though, so it's not really needed if you only missed them in certain places. It's not a game that I'd want to play again, because I was scared enough the first time, and the story didn't impact me the way I was anticipating.
Overall
I liked Through the Woods. It was genuinely scary for me, but I am a baby. I didn't connect with the story, but I did appreciate that it went in directions I was not expecting at all.