intrigued by the idea of a creepy adventure title based on the original folk
tales of Red Riding Hood. Like many tales in their early form, the original
Red Riding Hood was quite the grisly fable; surprisingly, the developers of
The Path eschewed the potentially gory route in favor of something perhaps
even more psychologically disturbing.
The game begins in a modern apartment, where the player selects which “Red”
they would like to play as. Each of the Red sisters has some variant of
“red” for their name, like Ruby or Scarlet, and each sports their own
distinctive personality. This first scene, which functions as a character
selection menu, offers a subtle introduction to each sister.
Little Rose sits quietly, gently petting a white rabbit.
Her older sister Ruby slouches in her seat, the epitome of adolescent
apathy. Each of the six sisters will experience The Path in a different
light, carrying their own memories and perspectives on their journey. It
falls upon the player to decide who shall bear the basket on this day, and
begin the treacherous trek to Grandmother’s house.
Like much (if not all) of the game, the
basket is a symbolic element. It represents each girl’s memories, which they
collect and carry on their journeys. While players have the option of simply
following the brightly lit path leading straight to Grandmother’s house,
this feat is technically regarded as a “failure” in the post-game report. In
fact, this is the closest thing to “failure” you will find in The Path. Your
primary objective is to encounter the “wolf”, which is located somewhere in
the surrounding forest. Straying from the path against Mother’s warning
allows the girls to explore the dense, dark forests full of unknown wonders.
It is by interacting with these wonders that the girls collect “memories”,
which are stored in the basket. Each interaction can have a different effect
on Grandmother’s house.
Navigating The Path is very simple. You can
view the basket at any time with the touch of a button, use the mouse to aim
the camera, and hold the left click button to walk forward. Holding both
right and left click causes the girl to run, though this also elevates the
camera and obscures the view of some points of interest. Along the way,
players can collect flowers. After collecting six of them, a navigation
point appears at the screen’s periphery, which will guide the player to a
major interaction point in the forest. Many of these are optional, but they
will eventually guide you to the “wolf”. The “wolf” is, perhaps
disappointingly, also symbolic. Each girl has her own personal “wolf”, which
is seemingly a downfall or personal weakness. The final cinematic revealing
each girl’s “wolf” can range anywhere from disturbing to downright
ridiculous.
Upon locating the wolf, the player travels
through Grandmother’s house. This is a bit like a rail-shooter, only without
any shooting. Essentially, the buttons are clicked repeatedly to guide the
girl through a predetermined pathway through the house. Giving the player
control over the pace does seem to make things a bit scarier, as you have
the option of hesitating or hurrying to the next room. Still, this feels
like a decidedly anticlimactic way to conclude an already sluggish and often
confusing journey through a vast forest. While the
“survival-horror-adventure” genre may seem like the closest label that
exists for The Path, this feels quite inaccurate on a number of levels. I
found the game more enjoyable when approaching it more as an interactive
narrative than a traditional “game”, since The Path offers little in the way
of skills, rules, or accomplishment.
Although developed by a small studio
containing only a few people, The Path is an aesthetically dense game.
Sunlight blooms through misty forest clearings, vibrant colors saturate the
“attraction” areas upon entry, and playful animations bring stylized
characters to life. Perhaps even more striking is the audio. Layers of
screeching strings and haunting sopranos strike terror into the heart of the
player, while the vocals of children peppered with piano pieces lull the
player into an altered state of consciousness, causing the dream-like
quality of the game to take on a whole other dimension. At first, I was
unsettled by some of the more repetitive tunes. As I continued to play,
traveling through an endless forest with recurring choral rhythms, it
occurred to me that the game was getting into my head. This is the first
title I’ve played that seems to sing you to sleep,
only to jar you awake moments later with some bizarre hallucination. At
times, it even felt like the game was playing me, though I am still hesitant
to actually call The Path a “game”. It would have been nice if there had
been more to do in the forest, and if the experience changed more
drastically with each girl’s successive play-through.
A thorough exploration of The Path will only take a few hours, though they
will feel quite long. Mature-minded gamers with a will of iron and infinite
patience may find The Path to be worth its miniscule price tag, just be
warned: This journey is not for everyone.
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Gameplay: 7.0
Simple and
accessible gameplay for a highly abstract gameplay experience. Still, there
should be a better way to get lost in a digital forest.
Graphics: 8.0
Stylized
artistic design, high dynamic range lighting, and a rich color palette.
Sound: 9.0
The
one word that easily sums up The Path’s aural atmosphere?
Haunting. The music is almost parasitic, causing
your skin to crawl, creeping up your spine, and embedding itself in your
brain.
Difficulty: Easy
Navigating the
forest can certainly be frustrating, but it’s virtually impossible to “fail”
or “lose” the game.
Concept: 8.0
Go into a
room full of people, start talking about a survival horror game based on Red
Riding Hood, and see how many heads you can turn. Exactly. Keep in mind that
this is a very artistic interpretation of the tale, however.
Overall: 7.8
The Path
represents a prime paradox in the world of games. It is simple to play, but
incredibly deep in its execution. It’s mystical, often perplexing, and more
disturbing than pleasant. Think of it as an interactive fairy tale, and
you’ll find it much less stupefying and maybe even a bit marvelous.
