A Wolf in Autumn

Very short and not easy to see. Tries to be creepy, but just comes of boring. Better games out there. 2/5

I both do and don't get A Wolf in Autumn. Perhaps it's because of my perception of things right now. Perhaps it's due to who I am as a person. Or maybe perhaps, I simply just don't get it. Or perhaps I do. A Wolf in Autumn is yet another psychological horror from David Szymanski that beckons you to think. To think about what it's showing you and the significance that holds. It conveys a sense of emotion that is up to you to figure out. There is a beauty in sorrow, and disgust in beauty. Thus is life. Thus is freedom. A Wolf in Autumn, to me, is a game about confinement and escape. It's about the establishment and perception of individual traumas. The wildness of true freedom and the consequences of allowing that pride, that infinitely hungry "wolf" to control you. It's a game told in two PoV's. One being the character Autumn's, and the other being her mother's. The nightmarish slurring of concepts and thoughts, the loss of control due in part to an abundance of it. This is the framework for what we are shown. For what other nightmares are shared in it. For to escape control, one must simply break through the barriers preventing that escape. I feel for Autumn, I do. I feel for her mother as well. The implications of their relationship spell out a story of more than two people. There are more people involved in this story, more involved in the creation of their lives. Each one played their part in this. And that, the horror behind it, is why I enjoyed this game. It's why I both do, and do not get A Wolf in Autumn. It's not my story, but I'm glad to have heard it. Aside from all of that philosophical nonsense, as a game, A Wolf in Autumn is alright. This is definitely one of the more "story above all else" games that Szymanski has put out. The area designs are claustrophobic and decrepit. They do a lot to showcase the beauty and depravity of what we see throughout the game. As far as this goes for execution, it's okay enough. Visually, this makes navigating a bit of a nightmare at the start. I dropped the ice pick at the beginning and failed to relocate it because of how badly everything blends together. I have a tough time seeing in some games and this was the worst visual blend I've experienced in quite some time. Beyond that, the gameplay is serviceable. It's fun knowing that while there is definitely one solution to the "escape room" type puzzle you are meant to solve; there are a fair few ways of going about doing so. I really appreciate seeing how David was and still is experimenting with new gameplay ideas. This is quite the jump from his previous games up to this point. I'm glad I saved it for last in that regard. It's a nice middle ground to what we've seen and what was to come. I'll say to try this one out if you're interested. While I went on a whole spiel about both getting it and not, you may end up just not getting it. I can see a lot of people getting hung up on the initial bits of dialogue and missing any kind of interpretation. Even if you think that might be you, I'll still push you to try it. Who knows, you might actually get it.

Игра очень понравилась

I wasn't expecting such a close-knit story, and one that's thoroughly emotional too

this game is scary

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