White Shadows

White Shadows was a noir styled dystopian story with probably good ideas behind it but fell off with a bad execution. The trigger warning at the start made me think that they had a good base for their dystopian world, and they actually wanted to touch upon the reality of racism, xenophobia, the power hierarchy and separatism. However, the end product seems like they hesitated to create a world too grim and kept the cruel things somehow too soft. I definitely don't mean this in an edgy way, but a more gruesome world would be much better in this setting because the impact the separatism has on birds wasn't visualized enough except through some repeated signs and messages. An inspiration to look up to is Oddworld, where racism along with capitalism are handled perfectly in a gruesome but colorful world. The messages were too vague and the rushed story wasn't helpful for the case it was trying to highlight. Everything happens too fast and there's almost nothing to digest so you just keep rushing through everything. The end almost had no connection to the progress at all, and there's no real resistance to the 'big bad' of the story. Symbolisms and metaphors are good and all, but this game seems to force everything into a symbolism, which makes it forget what it was symbolizing in the beginning. While I loved the style and had fun with the gameplay, it could be a much better experience if it was 1-2 hours longer with an actual baseline for the story. The gameplay was mostly walking and jumping, with some bugs that make jumping a hassle sometimes but they weren't that bad. There are some small puzzles here and there and that's basically it. I had no problem with this gameplay but if you're looking for more puzzles rather than a lot of platforming or a well-written story, this game might not be for you.

[h3][url=store.steampowered.com/app/1158890/White_Shadows/]White Shadows[/url] is a disturbingly beautiful and dark cinematic adventure inspired by Orwell's and other dystopias.[/h3] The comparison to classics like Limbo, Inside and Little Nightmares is easy, both in terms of gameplay and mood, but this game brings a truly unique take on the genre. Features a sinister carnival and a very oppressive society, and comes with a very accurate warning about racism, animal violence, and other sensitive themes. [h3]Positive[/h3] [list] [*] Great ambiance with polished noir aesthetics [*] Smooth controls of creature at different stages [*] Impressive camera work frames different perspectives around 2D movement [*] Suitable classical soundtrack + distorted gibberish vocals [*] Disturbingly beautiful and dark with moody lighting [*] Classic puzzle mechanics (crates, machinery, levers, some timing) [/list] [h3]Negative[/h3] [list] [*] Expected bigger ending twist or climax [/list]

DEFINITELY a good game! gameplay is short and simple(but to be honest... a lot of things happen in the game that makes it different and enjoyable each chapter!) , the story surprisingly lures you into itself with all the dark aspects!!! , a lot of interesting small things that the game makes you experience them. thanks to the developers and congrats!!! for creating such a good game! the whole name and content of the game is about being dark and it IS dark! and it makes you somehow hate the light! even the contrast of the game shows that. my opinion... the whole game shows and TALKS about racism... diff animal species , one works as poor that doesnt have the light. light is a thing that everyone should have had but only some having it made big distance between them and hatred toward other group that doesnt have it. some points in the story is still vague to me... the telephone guy and the ending. maybe an inside person trying to destroy the lights , but why? for what outcome? so the birds rise and take over? the lights that kill you are just a little buggy. and if the ending mission was more intense it would have been a lot better since it ended like nothing happened and almost everything helping you reach above.

Great game .. 8 / 10

Perfect

Jeu qui reste assez court mais très sympa pour le gameplay et l'histoire. Fonctionne parfaitement sur Steam Deck contrairement á ce qui est annoncé sur le magasin

I've enjoyed this game. It has a unique black-and-white art style, and I really loved the soundtrack, especially during the train sequence. The world feels dark and atmospheric. It gave me strong [i]Animal Farm[/i] vibes, especially with the “all animals are equal” law. The gameplay itself isn't difficult, and the achievements are easy to get. A big plus is that you can load checkpoints to complete any missed achievements without replaying the whole game. I can agree that it might not be worth the full price, but on sale? Definitely grab it.

normal vibes and gameplay 7.5