Review #631: Night in the Woods

 Xylophobes need not apply.

 Do they know that they are animals? That's the biggest question Night in the Woods fails to answer throughout its quirky slice-of-life-horror-mystery adventure. As one of this generation's Indie darlings, NitW doesn't disappoint.

 Set in the little town of Possum Springs, you play as Mae, a cat-thing college drop-out who returns home after giving college a try. But not everything is as she remembered, some of her friends have changed, others remain the same, and she'll have ample time to figure things out as the story progresses. The game is divided into four different chapters, the first three follow a slice-of-life narrative as Mae gets reacquainted with the town and her friends. The script is charming, and you'll probably be able to relate to at least one character, as everyone is trying to figure their way through life and its obstacles. This is not an action game, you'll mostly be talking and, well, just talking with the different inhabitants of Possum Springs, often times being allowed to pick between different dialogue choices that may alter how different people see Mae. On the other hand, there are subtle hints here and there that not everything is as it looks, culminating in a fourth chapter tied with strong eldritch horror influences... depending on how you decide to interpret the story. It's a jarring tonal shift to be sure, but it doesn't hurt the game although I would've been fine with just a mundane story about mundane animalpeople doing mundane animalpeople things.

 The entirety of the game takes place inside Possum Springs, as you follow Mae through her life. Every day is a different day, so you're free to speak with as many townsfolk as you want, and see how their lives evolve throughout the game, even finding out different things about their personalities. It's entirely optional too, the only mandatory interactions are the ones with Mae's core circle of friends, and even then most of the time you'll have to choose between spending time with either of her best friends. This is a dialogue-heavy game, and while Mae can jump around different objects in town, most of your interactions will be talking. And talking. And pretty much just talking.

 On the other hand, most nights Mae will be harassed by nightmares, and while they are visually stimulating, they can also get quite repetitive. The game really, REALLY likes forcing you to explore mazelike environments searching for the four musicians, and these nightmares grow old quite fast. It's a shame, because some of the earlier, non-repetitive nightmare sequences weren't that bad.

 Night in the Woods is a keeper. It manages to create interesting characters and storylines from simple every-day life occurrences, but this is also why it can get so relatable and, in turn, engaging. The art style is simplistic but pretty, making traversing the town and Mae's Nightmares a pleasure. On the flipside, Switch owners get the supplemental "Longest Night" and "Lost Constellation" side minigames on the same package.
 7.5 out of 10