Whispering Willows (PS4) - Review
by Chinh Tran , posted on 01 July 2015 / 4,773 Views
Today’s gaming landscape is littered with shooters and open world games that generally highlight action over narrative. Whispering Willows, developed by Night Light Interactive and published by LOOT Interactive, goes against this trend and dares to place more emphasis on story and character. Through beautifully hand-drawn art and effective audio design, Whispering Willows tells a tragic tale of love, murder, and redemption that any fan of narrative-driven puzzle games should enjoy.
Whispering Willows’ greatest strength lies in its strong narrative. It actually tells the story of two tales woven together through time by a spiritual connection. On a surface level, players are tasked with controlling Elena Elkhorn in a quest to find her missing father at Willows Mansion. Throughout her journey, however, Elena uncovers the tragic history of the mansion along with her family’s inseparable role in said history. Whispering Willows adopts a subtle narrative approach, though - players are going to want to read collectable notes and diary entries in order to get the most out of Whispering Willows’ multi-layered and winding story.
The gameplay of Whispering Willows is quite simplistic and may turn off people who are not fans of the genre. Essentially, this is a puzzle game with strong exploration elements. The player controls Elena as she makes her way through the mansion and the surrounding areas, solving puzzles in order to unlock its mysteriously tragic history. Through her amulet, Elena has an astral projection ability which allows her to project her spirit outside of her body, and this ability is used to assist her in solving puzzles and communicating with other spirits.
Elena’s walking speed can be a bit slow at times - she can run, but only outside the mansion - and this serves to reinforce the haunting atmosphere, but at the cost of trying your patience. Less observant players may also find themselves lost, as there is no map to guide you.
Whispering Willows' sound design is basic but also effective in creating a tense, foreboding atmosphere. You will hear the faint whispers of ghosts as well as the clacking of evil spirits which take the form of spider-like creatures. Elena also vocally expresses her fears and curiosity throughout the game. The music, although not always present, seeps in at perfect moments to underscore the importance of a scene or event. All of this combines to create an effectively haunting environment that successfully draws players into the mansion and allows them to experience the oppressive isolation Elena feels.
As with the audio design, the visuals do an excellent job of creating a haunting and bleak atmosphere. Characters are all unique and hand-drawn in an anime-style. The ghosts are shown as grotesque echoes of the people they were at the moment of their deaths, but at the same time they still manage to evoke pity. The environments are also beautifully realized and add to the haunting atmosphere. The lighting is equally as impressive, as candles and fires convincingly illuminate parts of the mansion that would otherwise be consumed by darkness. Although cartoony, the visuals in Whispering Willows nonetheless manage to create a depressing mansion, and encourage you to explore the hidden mysteries lurking within.
Fans of unique and strong narratives in videogames as well as puzzle games will enjoy LOOT Interactive's Whispering Willows the most. Although the gameplay can be simplistic at times, and there is little in the way of replayability (the game itself takes about three hours to complete), there are still some unique puzzles and mechanics to be enjoyed. Ultimately, Whispering Willows proves that simplicity, atmosphere, and a strong narrative can go a long way to creating a memorable gaming experience.
This review is based on a digital copy of Whispering Willows for the PS4, provided by the publisher.
