Night in the Woods: Weird Autumn Edition

Its on the list of my best games. I'm surprised how good this game is. I need more from this studio!

It's not a romance game, but you'll fall in love anyway.

NITW:WAE really grabbed me. I'm not into narrative driven titles as much as others, but I'll be damned in NITW didn't hook me in. Performance wise, KB+M and settings were solid, as was the 1080p 60FPS standard (I have a GTX 1050 Ti, for reference). There was one instance when the character froze and did not move, but nothing else interupted my experience. You control Mae, who walks/runs, jumps on platforms, tight rope walks, and interacts with others. NITW has an aesthetic that is so good to soak in. The music, the colors, the artstyle- all of it blends together to create its' own ambience. Without spoiling, NITW begins slowly and steadily, and the is a solid balance of player choice in interaction as well as being kept on a pre-determined path. And whereas I find many AAA titles' to have bland narratives, NITW handles relationships, identity, growing up, intrigue, and more with a grace and depth that only the medium of games can deliver, but so rarely do. If you want something with more mechanics to work with, NITW may not be be your type of game But it's a steal when it's on sale, and gets the Zero Punctuation "Worth Checking Out" for a reason. If you are even remotely interested, Night in the Woods is a great time that is funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking, disturbing, juvenile, and wise all at once.

Night in the Woods is not easily categorizable. It's not quite a platformer, it's not quite an adventure. It has elements of both, but at heart it's a narrative driven tale about a group of young anthropomorphic animal friends living their lives. It's funny, it's poignant, it's relatable to just about anyone, especially if you grew up in a small town or at any point struggled with money or finding your place in the world in making the leap to adulthood. The characters are very modern, as is the dialogue, but even though I grew up in the 90s it still struck an emotional chord with me many times. It touches on modern issues like the lower and middle classes being squeezed, the struggles of small town America and mental illness, to name a few, never while coming off as preachy, in my opinion. The animation, music and dialogue are all top notch. I've played hundreds of adventure games in my life and I've never so actively (obsessively, really) sought to follow every possible dialogue tree in every conversation or item interaction. Each time I replay it I discover something new. The minigames are fun and cute little diversions, but really not what the game is all about. This game is all about subtlety. Every day of the game the autumn becomes a tiny bit more prominent. More leaves appearing on the ground, pumpkins in front of peoples' homes, etc. For max enjoyment, allow yourself to become immersed in this world and surrender to what it is rather than what you expect from "a game". Just let it unfold and enjoy. Bottom line: if you're looking for Halo 8, this isn't it. If you want an interesting experience exploring this beautifully animated world inhabited by interesting characters with many paths to take and great replayability, this is for you. It's without a doubt one of my favorite games I've ever played, and I do not say that lightly.

great story & characters. it's the comfort food of games! ♥