Mothmen 1966 makes a good first impression on an old man like me. The main menu turns from a fine hand drawn art piece to a striking 2D pixel art piece. It isn’t a standard 16-bit affair, instead it is a limited palette that evokes the early eighties – all jagged greens, reds, blacks, and whites.
The soundtrack feels like it was ripped from an aging computer. Barks from dogs, car wheels squealing, and slamming doors sound warped as if through a tinny BBC Microcomputer. The noises are alien in origin and it works so well for what comes along.
A visual novel with some puzzle elements, Mothmen is set during the night of a meteor shower. The story jumps between three characters: Holt who works in a gas store, Vic a young woman on the verge of a decision and Lee who is Vic’s boyfriend.
The game itself is not much; there are a couple of puzzles and a few diverging paths, but what the developers have nailed down is the story.
Like the graphical style the writing is sharp and distinct, nailing a mixture of eerie Twilight Zone mixed with the pulpy tones of Tales from the Crypt. I loved the way that Vic and Lee talked past each other with the game allowing for the player to jump between their perspectives and see how they are preoccupied by completely separate things. Holt talks and thinks like a Stephen King character and large parts of his history are shrouded in mystery that tie in with the denouement.
Some might complain that the experience is short, and there aren’t many ways for different outcomes (although it is very fun exploring the different dead ends where one of the main characters dies), but Mothmen is worth appreciating for the time it is present. I don’t have a lot more to write about it, but I think anyone that has enjoyed Stranger Things, read and enjoyed a pulp horror book, or sat down with some of the more peripheral John Carpenter films should check this out.
Conclusion
Visually compelling, and smartly written Mothmen deserves to be talked about in the same breath as the other great narrative games released in 2022.
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This game was reviewed based on Xbox One review code, using an Xbox Series S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
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