Yomawari: Midnight Shadows Review

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Last year, Yomawari: Night Alone was a refreshing change in the horror survival genre. Developed by Yu Mizokami in collaboration with Nippon Ichi, distributed for PS Vita / PC, she had a fascinating approach to the fear of darkness that she feels younger, putting us in the shoes of a little elementary child with the best (or worse depending on points of view) representations of Japanese mythology and various urban legends.

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The unnamed protagonist faces the darkness and all the evil hidden in it to save his sister, surviving nightmare creatures that in spite of the "childish" design of the entire production are able to become unforgettable
Midnight Shadows is a survival horror exploration -especially- and puzzles -in small doses-, and as in Night Alone , these girls will cross multiple spirits wandering the stage, some well visible and others only with the light of the lantern. L as beats and sounds give us clues as you approach one of these ghosts.

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Dive Inn

On most occasions our two options will be to start running - with the slowest and smallest - or to look for a hiding place until the danger passes. The system of bushes and objects returns to hide the protagonists, which consists of interacting with the stage waiting for the ghost to pass . During these instants some spots that simulate sound indicate us of the position and proximity of the monsters, a quite intelligent solution that we liked a lot in the original.

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There are creatures that block shortcuts. However, the most dangerous are invisible to the naked eye or appear by surprise.
Certain spirits are so big that they block the roads, others patrol a street or you can pass close to them without making much noise -on tiptoe-. Running is not always an option, as there is a fatigue bar that quickly exhausts under the pressure of fear . This is what turns Yomawari into a saga of classic terror: to put the player in inferiority of conditions and with a feeling of being at the limit of his possibilities. Let's not forget that the saved here is also limited to the use of coins and specific points -some small temples or telephones.

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Basically this is the known and expected part of Midnight Shadows , explore scenarios with these spirits, collecting all the clues and objects that we can to advance or know details of the story. Sometimes you know that your destination is in a building in the city, let's say an abandoned house, but getting there with the streets blocked is not always easy . In addition the volume of the game has been extended, with a map that doubles the previous one - the game is a bit longer than Night Alone - and adds a novelty: the interiors.

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We have two protagonists who alternate their turn according to the story, and one can explore the alley, but another may be inside a building. This gives rise to scenarios with a different setting to the locations from abroad, new types of traps or challenges . For example, when we enter the library, the posters remind us that we should not run through the corridors; obviously the shelves are infested with ghosts absorbed in reading, and there will be mobile warning lights ready to spoil the game if you take it too calmly.

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In addition, in some moments the camera will change to another side -the usual isometric-, which allows us to see the world of the game with another perspective. It is appreciated because there are abundant recycled graphics elements of Night Alone - although in general it is more detailed -, and these places differentiate a little more to the sequel compared to the first.

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This creature with scissors will attack us in several moments. Each situation is solved in a way. Simple puzzles will appear throughout the scenarios, moving obstacles or picking up objects. A system notifies us of important points in the vicinity, very useful because we will find many utensils or notes. Whenever you see a shine on the ground, or a question mark, monitor the terrain. Speaking of objects, we can equip talismans with various effects that give some kind of extra advantage. Perhaps we are interested in carrying more pebbles, more coins or improving our resistance to fatigue.

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Midnight Shadows again offer a good cast of spirits, never unpleasant or gore -forget boring zombies-, each with a different behavior. It is convenient to learn which ones you can risk or which ones have bad fleas -Mr. Kotowari, a huge hand with scissors, is very persistent and will appear several times. They are strangely shaped and will cause us terror because of the danger of having them near or simply because of their unexpected appearance with some shrill sound.
The bosses and sub-heads also have their secrets to get the victory, because we are not talking about a simple action game.

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Short Storyline

Little Yui has just learned to know the world, yet life has already been hard enough for him. First of all, the loss of his father, then that of Kuro's dog, whom he had so fond of, and now that sense of loneliness, knowing that Haru, his best friend, will soon change cities and maybe one day he will forget about her. The specter of loneliness is difficult to accept, but Yui decides to spend the last night alongside his game companion. Together, they decide to head to the top of the mountain overlooking the small town where they plan to attend a fireworks show. When the fires end and the two girls are walking home to hand, a left voice makes them hesitate on what to do.How easy it is to understand things will not go right in the right direction, and the streets of the two girls will separate in mysterious circumstances.

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The narrative incipit is functional to the renewed gaming structure that outlines the Midnight Shadows versus the predecessor. Haru will search for the missing girlfriend, but at certain stages of the story, the player will also dress up Yui's clothes, trying to figure out what's happening and where the baby is actually over. Just as in Yomawari: Night Alone, we need to explore the map of the city in the middle of the night, armed only with a torch, trying to evade the dangerous presence that lies in the darkness. that the sense of discomfort and anguish we had already experienced is also transmitted by the sound of the heartbeats - effectively transmitted by the vibration of the DualShock 4 - that can be perceived when a threat lies in the vicinity.When entities begin to chase the protagonists to kill them, the pulses become increasingly strong and incessant, further limiting the user's ability to move. Even in this case, it has nothing to do with energy bars or lifestyles: a shot is equivalent to certain death and forces you to start from the nearest checkpoint. Since Yui and Haru are largely helpless, the main tool at their disposal provides a lively movement management, entrusted to the stamina at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively you can decide to turn off the flashlight and move small steps to avoid being detected. The only objects that can be used to gain a little advantage are stone or paper airplane recovered from the ground, which in some cases serve to distract the entities that materialize along the way. If necessary, it is still possible to take refuge in safe places such as bushes, boxes, or lockers, waiting for the situation to return quietly, at least apparently.

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Conclusion

Nothing new in the menu, as mentioned earlier, with the exception of some elements such as interaction with some items, the introduction of the "Charms" - which will guarantee various passive bonuses - and the addition of some enemies including the scary Kotowari- the same (a giant hand holding bloody scissors).

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Unfortunately, Yomawari has the same formula trial and error as Night Alone, although - to put it all - I found this second chapter much less frustrating than its predecessor. For the rest, the gameplay has not undergone major changes: in the shoes of the two girls we will have to move to place in place by studying the patterns of the enemies in order to evade, conceal, or solve simple environmental puzzles to find useful objects for the continuation of the game. Overall, Yomawari: Midnight Shadows has a great atmosphere and lets you play nicely to the queue titles, albeit narratively can not get involved more than that.Yomawari Midnight

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However, some creatures are quite grotesque and disturbing. The audio compartment is also good, with frightening background noise that can power the tension, accentuated by the heartbeat of the protagonists that will pulsate in our ears whenever they will present a danger in the vicinity.
Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is a horror title without too much pretense, but such lovers will definitely appreciate it. The atmosphere that permeates the whole setting is striking and disturbing, and the bestiary accompaniment makes the grotesque and mysterious set. Of course, the super deformed graphics are all about to dim a bit, but the moody atmosphere and continuous jumpscare always keep the stars in tension.
The difficulty is definitely more permissive, which makes the experience less frustrating and definitely more enjoyable.

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