This one has been on my list for a couple years now and it just came in the mail yesterday. I was super excited and popped it in my old, dusty PS2 that supports the TV in my room.
This is going to be my first reactions and thoughts on my very first playthrough of this game. I'm not gonna give super-detail and try not to give away a lot of spoilers because it's really worth it just to play it on your own and devise your own opinions.
So this is merely a commentary and my opinions based on my on what I see, and my thoughts of the game as I progress.
There will be some spoilers, so if you're looking for an actual review or something that isn't going to give away anything, go elsewhere. I'll probably do a proper review of the game when I've actually completed it.
From the very start I'm greeted with a string prelude of the opening cinematic. Already this game has done correctly what so many games fail to do: Capture my ears and eyes instantly. The CG is absolutely gorgeous, capturing the look of what the insides of a worn, leather-bound English novel might be.
The music is done with live musicians, which wins major, major points with me already. The opening song "Love Suicide" that plays over the opening is sung by the perfectly smoky Kaori Kondo (who sounds a lot like the person who did that one song in Deadly Premonition). But the intimate and melancholy strings and piano all put through a filter to make it sounds like it's being played through an old phonograph really set the mood and the tone of the game.
The opening cinematic itself has a lot of striking and intriguing imagery that told me I was in for something I wasn't quite expecting. I'm still enamored by how well put together this was, the book-ends where rose petals gather and then fall in time to the music are my favorite parts. Here, take a look for yourself.
When I start the game itself, I'm told a story, by a man and then a boy on a bus reading a book with the story in it. The story is about a girl who had a friend who was a Princess. Rose, was her name. She was always by the girl's side, until her parents were taken away at least. The little girl was sent to a "Strange House" by Rose (that's always encouraging) and that's all. The rest of the story is missing, the boy gets up from his chair, carrying the book.
Here we're introduced to our main character, Jennifer. I'm broken out of the atmosphere by a what to me, feels like a sloppy, uneven delivery by someone who sounds remarkably like Mona Marshall as the little boy, (she's usually an excellent voice actress) but I can't confirm if it's her or not. The boy merely tries to get Jennifer's attention but immediately flees off the bus with Jennifer following.
It doesn't take long to draw me back in as I'm given control of Jennifer The area is small, and dark. The only light-source being a lamp by the Bus-stop. I follow the road after the bus first, but the road just leads me to the opposite side of the bus-stop. This confirms that we're not exactly in the Wales anymore.
I go after the boy and follow after the sounds of a dog and find an abandoned shed, it's empty on the inside, but I find a dog collar. Behind me comes the perverse sound that would haunt me for the remainder of my experience, a little laughing and running away.
Once again, following the sounds I found the little boy and gave chase until I stumbled upon a big ol' mansion. The boy escaped inside its front gates. Walking up to it gave me a small scene of little girls with paper-bags on their heads, gleefully beating an animal of some sort inside a sack (wait, what did I find in the shed?). Their instruments are bloody and the beating is brutal, it's contrast to the happy and innocent decorations drawn on the bags, the scene really turned my stomach sour.
Jennifer is a very non-confrontational sort. She wanted to avoid getting involved in this, and back away from the gate. I lead her to follow a path around the wall of mansion, seeing heads pop up over the wall and voices giggling in an anticipation that made me compelled to find out what it is they're planning, but also fear for poor, unlucky Jennifer after seeing those girls brutally wail on a helpless animal.
Once inside I immediately feel like I'm being watched. Laughter comes from all directions. Being a Survival Horror vet I start trying all the doors. A couple are locked, but one that I try near a flight of stairs opens, but as Jennifer is about to go inside, a small arm reaches from behind the door and slams it in her face. This was surprising and unnerving, it made my feeling of being monitored intensify, I did not feel alone at all, but there was no soul to be seen.
This was not fear I felt, at least not conventional fear that games try to instill. This was the sour, lonely feeling of being left out. Like you were the butt of a joke and everyone was pointing and laughing at you from a safe distance even though you could clearly tell they were talking about you.
The perverse laughter became more maddening the more I heard it. I desperately followed the little boy, hoping I could find out what the hell they were laughing at me for!
Eventually, I found my way to the attic, where I found the boy, who was not as nice as he was before. He had a very pompous and superior attitude as he lectured me the rules that I would be abiding. The Aristocrats of the Red Crayon would be watching me, waiting for me to provide mandatory offerings for their acceptance and audience.
I eventually made my way out to an inner garden area. Tucked away in a corner was a grave with a shovel, I had Jennifer start digging. When she uncovered the casket and opened it, the contents were scarce. The casket was big enough for an adult, but only contained the now immobile brown sack. Before Jennifer could do any investigating little girls with decorated paper bags on their heads saw fit to pour water all over poor, unlucky Jennifer.
Jennifer merely sat there, letting them do it. Now, I'm not one to let water bug me or anything, but I don't know if I'd put up with that. But I get the feeling it's more of a symbolic thing, and will make more sense as to why she's so passive later. At least I hope.
Anyway, after these girls were done with their little rain-party they pushed Jennifer inside the casket, and sealed her inside. At first I thought they were going to bury her, but I soon figured out they were lifting her up and carrying her away somewhere.
The last thing we saw before this segment ended was Jennifer looking through a crack in the casket at the full moon. As the casket moved we would see trees pass over it, darkening the eerie light it provided.
Next time we meet the lovely Bucket Knight and look for a butterfly in the sky.
Happy fishing everyone.
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