Developer: Osome Studio
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC
Tested on: Playstation 4
White Night – Review
The horror genre recently has been given some love by developers, with the release of several horror games in the last couple of months. The developers at Osome studios have chipped in by bringing you White Night, a suspenseful horror survival game that will keep you on the edge of your seat . With the interesting graphics and graphical design it’s sure to be a unique experience. Ronan Coiffec, lead developer at Osome Studios, has even gone so far as to rent a mansion in Normandy to give the team the artistic view for the game.
Story
The player takes on the role of a nameless private eye who loses control over his vehicle because of a girl in the middle of the street and subsequently crashes. His car totalled and with his body worse for wear, the only option is to look for help or a phone. He finds the latter in an abandoned mansion. The phone call does not bring help closer, but is the start of the mystery: the strange ramblings on the other end of the line are the least of your worries. Around the manor; you’ll find tidbits of information on what happened in the house and you’ll slowly be able to puzzle together the bigger picture. The way it’s done is that the big events are noted in a newspaper format. You’ll also encounter other texts in books or letters, spanning from insane ramblings to poetic musings, so you’ll never know what to expect.
Graphics
Polygons are what shape the world of White Night and black and white are what colour it. There’s a hint of orange but the main selling point of this game is that it’s set in the noire style. This is something new and refreshing, and though the lack of sight works to unnerve, working in black and white will also limit what is seen. There’s a lot of grime on the floor and without colour, it’s anyone’s guess whether it’s blood, muck or alcohol. What could have been done to remedy this was to give colour to things you pass with your match lit. This would still keep the noire feeling intact and give players a view of what horrors went on in the house.
The camera is quite passive in White Night with a fixed perspective. On one hand this creates tension as you go about your way in the mansion and other venues, on the other hand it often is the source of irritation as you blunder along, trying to get through a door or up a flight of stairs and it’s difficult to see whether or not your character is aligned properly to make it up the stairs or through the door. This becomes increasingly annoying as you are chased by the Shadows and you are stuck running around trying to make it past an obstacle and the camera constantly shifting as you run back and forth.
Sound
The main sounds for White Night underline the noire feeling. Melancholy Jazzy tunes spruce up your stumbling around the house from time to time. Most of the time, however, you’ll be wandering around with just a single piano key ringing out like it’s the heartbeat of the story. It works really well, it fuels your sense of isolation and loneliness. When you come close to danger, a booming noise can be heard, and the closer you get to the danger, the more frantic the sounds become. The voice acting is decent, your character having a smooth silky voice with a rough edge. Selena, the ghost you are following around, has a soft feminine voice. What can be said about the voice acting is that there is a lack of emotion.
Gameplay
White Night’s gameplay is solid, with simple controls. Left stick is for movement, square lets you run, after you’ve slept for the first time, slightly healing your wounded body. Circle lights a match and pressing it several times in a row will put out the match. The cross button has several functions, depending on the sign on the screen. The magnifying glass will let you examine things. The hands will let you use things. Two hands will let you crack open chests and push aside objects. The eye symbol will let you look closer at things. The door will let you open doors, if they are unlocked.
Matches light your way, and around the mansion, danger lurks. Shadows, which are tormented souls, roam around the dark corridors and will chase you relentlessly. The light of the matches will not harm them, but the light from electrical sources, lamps and chandeliers will kill them off. This often creates a tension filled chase as you run around trying to evade them, because when they catch you it’s game over. The feeling of relief when you finally flick the switch and the light flickers on, chasing away the shadows, is really satisfying.
When you explore the places you’ll pick up information that will help you puzzle together the mystery surrounding the house. The puzzles you’ll solve along the way are straightforward and after a while you’ll get the feeling you are zipping through the game, and soon you’ll unearth the final pieces surrounding the mystery and see the credits roll.
Conclusion
White Night is a noire filled horror game that will have you at the edge of your seat and sheds new light on the genre. If you are looking for a mysterious horror game that adds something new to the genre, then this will be right up your alley. If however you are looking for something action packed, then you might want to let this one pass you by.
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