Wow...just wow. After playing my brain is a little jumbled, and I feel as if I'll need a little time to digest this game and all it's themes. As short of an experience as this was, it was loaded with heavy subject matters and a lot of food for thought. That being said, I'll try my best in this review and hopefully I'll do the game justice.
The themes in this one, while rather dark, are actually fairly well handled. This is something I've come to expect and enjoy from this developer. However, having seen this title being roped together with Decaying Delicacy, a game of similar length that handled its interesting themes and subject matter very clumsily (in my opinion), I had my concerns. Yet, unlike Decaying Delicacy, The Miserable Crimson Hooded Girl packs its short run time with some much more needed story and a strong sense of agency.
Through the story of Little Red Riding Hood, Yai Gameworks touches on several disturbing, yet important topics, the main theme being how some societies treat the subject of womanhood and growing up as a female bodied person is actually...really creepy. This makes the game very uncomfortable at points yet, in my opinion, admirable with its bravery to cover the topic and its ability to do it so smoothly in such a short time.
The other themes about "coming of age" (mostly how trauma and pessimism are used as tools for "maturity" when really all they do is destroy one's mental health) are only made more poignant from the overall showcasing of the real life views and sexism surrounding them. Yet, these themes only come through so skillfully thanks to the great use of characters and narrative.
I don't want to spoil much, but I have to say [spoiler]making the main predator the narrator actually really helps with these themes. It shows how a lot of these attitudes about growing up and femininity are usually propagated by disgusting, predatory men who only view women as objects of desire. Hence their beauty and compliance being the only thing that matters, the idea of "maturity" simply being used as a weapon to shame and subjugate said women.[/spoiler] On top of this, the main character is very relatable and lovable, making the player want to protect them throughout.
A lot can be said about the themes, and how well they combat unhealthy attitudes toward mental health and aging, yet, it's more powerful to experience them through the game rather than simply reading about them, so, moving on.
The story wasn't the only aspect that absolutely blew me away, there is also a lot to be said about the presentation. While I believe the "starry filter" is a bit too much and just makes it difficult to see, I love the whole VHS look of some sections and the analogue horror type approach to the game as a whole.
This game mixes both gamplay and video elements, and while both are simple on the surface, together they really help drive the story and give a sense of unease. Considering this was an experimental project, it may not have come out perfectly, but still came out really well and I'm impressed. I would absolutely love to see a longer, more story driven experience in this kind of style, it was wonderfully terrifying and effective.
Again, the gameplay is simple, but I will give it points for never being too difficult or falling into the trap of previous titles. There are no overly convoluted puzzles, and, true to its word, it is an exploration game that doesn't put an annoying amount of pressure on you as you explore. There are still plenty of horror elements, yet, they worked intuitively with the exploration to make me reluctant to move on but not so much I didn't take the time to look around my environment.
Definitely heed that and the "walking simulator" tag, as unlike other Yai Gameworks titles, the game doesn't have any puzzle or chase sections, and is mostly comprised of you walking around your environment and finding items (or scares). I personally love that style of horror game but, if you don't, the other titles may appeal to you more.
This is definitely the most creative, meaningful, though depressing retelling of Little Red Riding Hood I have ever seen, and I love the creativity of this piece. I think "bite size" horror is very hit or miss with certain audiences, and yet, I've also found that the short run time can aid in the focus and sharpness of the piece. Be forewarned this isn't a happy tale, not from the beginning nor the end, and although I usually do not enjoy horror games that keep too much into the doom and gloom of the genre, I think it worked very effectively for this title. Just keep in mind that this game may very much be for you, or may be very annoying to you depending on your opinions of the style, the length, and the narrative.
My only real complaints are about the end and the warnings at the beginning. I feel as if the end was trying way too hard in its attempts to imply a story that, while certainly was there, was only very loosely so. The game is mostly metaphorical in its telling/showing, which I think Yai Gameworks is very good at, the ending just kind of missed the mark in that regard. That being said, it doesn't ruin any themes shown previously and isn't something I'd consider a completely "bad ending" writing wise, so compared to everything else it's just a small nick in my book.
As for the warnings, I want to first say that I absolutely understand why people do not always give specific warnings, as it can give away the contents of the piece, and finding the right middle ground to both inform your audience and withhold the surprise can be very tricky. That being said, all of the other Yai Gameworks titles have been fairly good at giving proper trigger warnings for very heavy subject matters, either through the warnings themselves or with the beginning sequences being very honest about the game's topic...except this one.
I really do appreciate the warning about the existential content, but I have a big pet peeve over the habit of a lot of horror games to put everything else under the title of "dark themes". Why? Well, because this title is extremely broad and could cover a multitude of things, therefore really not giving the player any information at all about a game's main themes. To get to the point, some of the antagonists treat the young character in a very predatory way, which includes themes of creepy sensuality, and I am putting this in my review not only to warn audiences but to voice my opinion that this really should have been in the warning at the beginning. Again, the creator is usually very good at this, so I see this as more of a one time fumble than anything, but it's important to mention.
Otherwise, I'd consider this a hidden gem in the Yai Gameworks collection, and I am extremely glad I not only ended up purchasing it but finally having the courage to give this unique experience a play. If you want to support this developer, this is one of their monetized titles I would highly recommend (if you can handle the subject matter, of course).
This game is easy to sell short due to its only hour long run time, lack of other endings, and no connection to beloved Yai lore, but I assure you this game still manages to be deep and effective as a stand alone piece. It may be experimental, and, as a said above, certain elements will probably either greatly aid or hinder your enjoyment, but I think if more people gave it a try, they'd find this game is a surprisingly effective horror experience. While I'd still put this rather low in my mental ranking of Yai Gameworks titles due to how short/linear it is along with how hard the subject matter is to swallow, I'd still highly recommend this title to fans that want to support the creator and are looking for a more unique horror experience. I'd mostly not recommend it to others who may be sensitive to the themes, so be mindful of the subject matter before purchasing, but otherwise, this is a thumbs up in my book.
