Game Info
GAME NAME: White Night
DEVELOPER(S): Osome Studios
PUBLISHER(S): Activision
PLATFORM(S): PS4
GENRE(S): Puzzle/Horror
RELEASE DATE(S): March 3rd, 2015
I have been keeping an eye on White Night for some time now and have finally had the chance to experience it. This game reminded me of Sin City at first with the narrative and black & white aesthetic visual appeal. The story is unsure at the beginning until you are driving and get into an accident while trying to avoid hitting a girl in the road. When you get out of the wrecked vehicle you find yourself with a wounded leg and are having trouble walking. Upon walking you will find yourself at a house near a graveyard and this is where the game’s story takes off.
At first I was unaware of the point until I explored everything and found it to be a little on the detective side in a way where you explore everything to get clues or information about back story. There is a puzzle element at place here as well and I like how they have made the use of black and white to create unusual results. For example, not being able to see a key because there is no light and moving something out of the way reveals it from being hidden in the dark black shadows. A horror element is at play here as well and you soon find that out with ghosts being all throughout this abandoned house.
If you stay in the dark too long your character will get delirious and ghosts will eventually end up killing you. You will have matches to light the way around the house and I suggest use them sparingly if at all possible. There will be extra matchbooks around the house for you to find and replenish your stock, but ultimately finding a light switch or lighting a fireplace is a better alternative. At times you might find your matches not lighting and this is to add some realistic effect with matches not working 100% of the time. If you encounter the ghosts they will follow you until light is apparent, but your match light will not bother them. They are only harmed from “electric” light and will cause you to be sneaky and turning lights on at certain times to kill off the ghastly villains.
Control wise this game works an isn’t too much to complain on, but some of the mechanics could have been improved. Mainly, you have to put out matches to open containers or sit in a chair to save your game and this will cause you to waste a match you possibly just lit. Other issues can be mainly visual from the black and white appeal causing impairment on seeing what you feel you need to, basically saying the white is too much at times.
Once again the visuals have a nice aesthetic appeal similar to Sin City or somewhat like the game Mad World that was originally on the Wii. The bright white does hinder the ability to see some moments in the game, but doesn’t truly deter from the experience at hand. The camera angles are very much like those of the earlier Resident Evil games with the fixed angles to create a more suspenseful or unique look. There isn’t much music to talk about and it is mainly ambient sounds and occasional piano keys that keep you engaged. The voice acting is quite nice and has a true Sin City narrative feel that is definitely welcome in a detective-esque horror game.
The Recommendation
White Night isn’t a typical game for a typical crowd and that’s okay. It delivers what it intended, but with some frustrations that can cause you to dislike it at times. Aside from the bright whites that mess with your viewing of things and the match management, White Night is a decent experience. I like how the story is mainly told through newspaper clippings, books, photos and notes from around the house to give you a feeling of mystery. If you enjoy mystery games that have a slight horror theme or even a visually tasteful game then White Night is definitely worth trying for yourself.
