REVIEW : White Shadows (PC)
White Shadows is an intriguing book. It is not only Monokel’s debut game, but it is also a sharp and subtle look at society. While the storey is set in an universe where humanoid creatures exist, it is evident that they function as proxies for mankind. Much like in the literary classic Animal Farm, it’s evident that the message here isn’t one of hope, but rather one of terrible truths. Despite the brief runtime, White Shadows takes set in a breathtakingly cinematic dystopian universe, and it managed to suck me in. Thunderful Games is swiftly establishing itself as one of my favourite indie game companies. They have a penchant for putting together unusual gaming experiences, and they don’t appear to be slowing down.
White Shadows’ style may be described in two words: dark and rich. Shadows abound, punctuated by industrial lights and massive banners. And, while the reason for the visual disparity in the game isn’t revealed until late in the game, it’s a good one. White Shadows claims that all creatures are created equal initially, but it soon becomes clear that this does not apply to ravens. They’ve been labelled as carrion birds, plague spreaders, and scapegoats for the world’s ills. This is a game about good and evil, light and dark, and how they collide in unexpected ways.
Ravengirl is the name given to our heroine. She appears on the scene as if she had descended from a massive cuckoo clock. She’s always attempting to move forward, as if she has some unspoken goal in mind, which wouldn’t be a problem if the game’s entire world wasn’t out to criminalise and murder her. To live, she’ll have to move quietly and quickly, solving puzzles and executing acrobatic feats. White Shadows is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer with a cinematic feel. In its early stages, the game gives off vibes of Limbo and Inside. This concerned me at first, because those two games are considered legends in the monochrome melancholy genre.
Set in a bleak, noir, black-and-white post-apocalyptic city made up of unstable wooden platforms and metal constructions. The players take on the role of a young Raven girl who must navigate this perilous city in order to find her fate. There is no opening tale or dialogue to tell you about the Raven girl’s past, rather the game’s narrative is eventually revealed through gameplay.
I struggled with the puzzles early on in the game. And by early, I mean very early. One of the reasons for this was that the entire 3D environment was condensed into a 2D field that could be interacted with. It was difficult at first to figure out where I could and couldn’t go due to the purposefully dim illumination. Fortunately, the further I went, the more I learned. Ravengirl must also navigate some challenging stealth passages where she must evade deadly light beams. This struck me as incredibly ironic, given that the game constantly bombards you with advertising about how “light is life” and how every creature should acquire their ration of batteries on a regular basis to keep the darkness at bay.
Though the game doesn’t include any bosses, there is one segment in the Funworld region that does. As a metallic wolf tries to smash and cut you to ribbons, you must survive. Ravengirl also needs to leap from trains and jump over obstacles, and there’s a late-game segment where you have to hop and dodge through a variety of hard traps. Overall, the game’s pace and variety were both exhilarating and invigorating.
The multiple checkpoints also helped to make the game feel less overwhelming. It’s good to be able to fail repeatedly without fear of losing too much progress. Because I’ve mistakenly led Ravengirl to her death on several occasions, causing her to be ground to red bits or flattened flat by the weight of metal doors. And there are a few sneaky areas that need a lot of trial and error, so prepare to see our heroine die prematurely.The gameplay is standard for the genre. You hop and climb your way to the city’s highest points while avoiding approaching trains, moving platforms, and deadly traps. You climb ladders, climb chains, and slide your way to the bottom of the ocean.
Raven Girl’s character is fluid and enjoyable to handle, seamlessly transitioning from one place to the next, though jumping from ladders was a concern of mine. It could have been a user mistake, but I was frequently missing basic jumps and, to be honest, struggling with the ladders. This tiny setback slowed my progress, but I persisted.
White Shadows is both lovely and unsettling visually. Many of the game’s images bring to mind the horrors of the Holocaust. That’s not a light comparison, yet it feels quite accurate. Animals will be made to work as slaves, marched to their deaths, and robbed of their identities. And, to be honest, it’s easy to be taken aback by the dystopian world’s sheer size. The game’s soundtrack is subdued, with various famous tracks used to build the tone. Flight of the Bumblebee, Ride of the Valkyries, and other titles are available. While I would have like additional unique music, what’s here is adequate. The panicked squeals of pigs, the drone of loudspeakers, and other sounds perfectly match the action, immersing you in this unsettling universe.
Puzzles were an efficient way to change up the gameplay and were enjoyable to play. Rail sections, such as those requiring you to ride a tram or interact with batteries, resulted in intense platforming sequences that were a lot of fun. There were additional mini-games where you had to avoid moving things. The game is only a few minutes long, and there isn’t much replay value other than achievements. Neither of these, however, detracts from the overall game. In reality, the tale is the only thing you need to be concerned with. A notice about racism, violence against women and children, and xenophobia appears at the start. I’m not going to sugarcoat it: this game is gloomy, even dismal at points. Several situations made me doubt my reasoning and even made me laugh out loud.
