White Shadows Review

Since the early days of console gaming, when the likes of Rayman and Crash Bandicoot first ruled the roost, platform adventures have been a favoured genre of many gamers. Over the years, the tales that have been spun from platform storytelling have evolved though, and with the likes of Limbo and Inside shining a light on some of the more darkened sides to society through some clever storytelling, it’s not so rare for players to be thrust into a tale that lives long in the memory just purely because of the issues it’s trying to raise or the sensitive subjects it’s trying to talk about. White Shadows is another game that gives off similar vibes to those games right from the off and now I’m going to tell you if you should spend some time experiencing it all for yourself!

White Shadows is not a game you’re going to boot up and be sat counting the hours you’ve dwindled away whilst you explore every far-reaching corner, or hunt down every quest. The total run time will only have you running around the 2.5D world for a little over 3-4 hours. Instead, what you’ll experience here is a short attempt at an impactful story, pitting you into the role of Ravengirl, as you step foot into a world of humanoid animals, and it doesn’t take long to realise this isn’t going to be a tale of joy and happiness, in fact, this might be one of the darkest titles of 2021.

This debut adventure from independent developer Monkel is played out in a black and white colour scheme, with big, dark and defeating shadows covering large areas, with little besides big industrial lighting and neon banners used to break things up to prevent the feeling of total darkness and isolation in what is very clearly a well-crafted and deliberate dystopian land.

Early on in the game, one message is being portrayed, all animals are equal, all animals except for Ravens that is. Of course, by taking on the role of Ravengirl, our protagonist falls into the category of an unequal being, instead finding herself depicted as the symbolism of all that is wrong with the world. This, as you would expect, leads you into a tale of stealth, speed and a life amongst the shadows, whilst puzzle-solving on route to an unknown goal is a must if you ever hope to find the purpose of the adventure.

With so much unknown about things as you progress, at least until later on in the game that is, it’s hard to see why there would be too many positives, however thanks to the implementation of some clever and challenging puzzles – as well as a few slightly rubbish ones, detailed environments and an intriguing, dark and dystopian world to go about exploring, all of which is done in a style similar to the aforementioned platform classics Limbo and Inside, White Shadows, appears to call out to the platform veterans amongst us who aren’t frightened of some sensitive material.

Sensitive subjects aren’t few and far between either with slave labour shown, racism depicted in one particular instance and death rarely far from play, be it your own death after falling to one of the many hazards littered throughout the game, or the death of other inhabitants of this dark world, there will be plenty of things to take in that depict just how cruel the world of White Shadows really is.

One thing that does lack here however is any real narrative. Sure, the games ideals and story is told through actions and depictions within each chapter, but with little to go on in certain places, it can at times be hard to understand just what story the game is trying to tell. Of course, it is nice sometimes to be able to put your own spin on things and interpret it a little different but when there is already a clear path the game is pushing you in, it would be nice to have a clear narrative to go with it.

If the lack of narrative doesn’t matter to you and if you think this sounds like a world you’d be intrigued in, then White Shadows is unlikely to have anything else that will turn your interests away. There is a difficulty curve to get become accustomed to early on, and with fall damage included and sudden drops easy to fall prey to as you learn the layout of each of the games 4 chapters, it’s easy to find your deaths racking up until you get into the swing of things but the general dark and gritty world only supports this as an expectation rather than anything to be irritated by.

Away from the gameplay aspects and whilst I’ve already mentioned the impressive visual design that’s on show, it has to be said the audio is another strong showing with some of the most famous music ever heard making up the soundtrack that fits in with the themes and tone of the game perfectly, with songs such as Ride of the Valkyries and Flight of the Bumblebee amongst others. Of course, those looking for an original score will be disappointed but there’s no doubt that the timing in which these classics play has been picked out perfectly.

Conclusion

Overall, if you like dark, dystopian and gritty gameplay experiences, platforming that comes with a difficulty curve that takes some learning, and controls that are simple enough for even gaming casuals to pick up and want something short enough that you can sit through in an evening or two, then White Shadows may be the next game to add to your list. It’s not revolutionary, and there may be better out there, but it’s a good first effort from Monkel.