![big spirit yomawari night alone big spirit yomawari night alone](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/yomawari/images/a/af/Hanging_Spirit.png)
The next few sequences only added to this sentiment, with the story taking on a format almost analogous to Yokai Watch. As with the map, the fact that hiding is your main defense to scare off that which would scare you feels thematically supportive, leaving me once again, impressed. After a short scene, you’re simultaneously introduced to a flashlight that lets you see all the nasty things that pop up to go bump in the night, as well as your best defense: hiding away in bushes and pretending they’re not there.
![big spirit yomawari night alone big spirit yomawari night alone](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/yomawari/images/2/28/Hand_Spirit_2.jpg)
After all, a kid would remember that the school’s somewhere near the rice fields, but they definitely wouldn’t remember all the roads and buildings in-between. You’re given a crude map with labels over blank spots to indicate the vague direction of various landmarks, which really helped cement the idea of playing as a small kid. So you head out into the streets with nothing but the ambient glow and hum of streetlights to guide your way.
![big spirit yomawari night alone big spirit yomawari night alone](https://yaharibento.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/yomawari-night-alone-game-21-girl-human-faced-dog.jpg)
Small journal entries greet the start of each chapter, demonstrating the confusion and feelings of the young protagonist. Much rarer are other familial relationships one of my all time favorite games, Silent Hill 3, features the under-explored relationship between an adoptive father and his daughter, so already Yomawari had tipped the scales in its favor, at least in my eyes. The core conceit alone had me endeared- most horror games end up focusing on the pursuit of loved ones or tragedy, but romantic interest always seems to be the easy grab.
![big spirit yomawari night alone big spirit yomawari night alone](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-t9hn8bFpVw/maxresdefault.jpg)
She’s had a rough day, and after her older sister is accidentally sent on a wild goose (or in this case, dog) chase and doesn’t come back, she sets off into what promises to be an equally rough night in search of her. So, diving in despite my skepticism, I was at least a little bit hopeful for what could await.Īfter a tonally rough start, you’re put in the shoes of the nameless main character, a very young Japanese girl. Reading the sales pitch about a little girl’s romp through terrors of the night, it sounded like the type of horror I find easiest to resonate with: one which cultivates an atmosphere of discomfort, without flaunting it. The artstyle was immediately reminiscent of Yume Nikki, a game forever close to my heart, but with a cuter and more stylized theme. After all, I’ve been burned before: just last year I was excited for another indie horror title that seemed right up my alley and, well, let’s just say that it’s in everyone’s best interests that Frictional Studios and I never meet again.ĭespite my defensively detached mindset, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement at the mere sight of Yomawari. Going into a game like Yomawari: Night Alone, in this most hallowed of horror times, I was more than a bit nervous it would leave me with that bitter feeling. When things don’t turn out the way they should, everything tastes sour, and you’ll be lucky if that taste doesn’t linger indefinitely. Disappointment is one of the worst feelings you can associate something with.