Pixel art horror has been all the rage ever since platforms such as the PlayStation Store ushered the industry into something of an indie boom. Red Bow is effectively a Japanese horror movie in Super Nintendo-style 16-bit form, putting you in the place of the immaculately dressed Roh as she explores a nightmare world filled with weird and wonderful creatures.
Expect an acid trip with little in the way of obstruction: this is more visual novel than action game, as you gather key items and interact with the curious characters in your consciousness hoping to push forward. The writing is fine but is largely riddled with clichés, while progression can generally feel trial-and-error, even with so few items to interact with.
Overall, the title is ridiculously restricted, and while there are different endings encouraging multiple playthroughs, you’ll have seen all that it has to offer in hours. The sprites are chunky and the environments pleasant, and there’s some earworm audio to add to the overall presentation, but you’re unlikely to find yourself dreaming of this once you’ve seen the credits roll a couple of times.
Comments 6
Ill probably pick this up on vita at some point. It seems to be like my big sister, which was diverting enough for a couple of hours
@Rob_230 Pretty sure it's the same developer.
Uh, this looks like more than a little bit of a Yume Nikki rip off. There’s absolutely no beating the original and the room, main character, interaction with key items and description as an ‘acid trip’ seems all rather familiar. Hmm, I’d love to see somebody versed in Yume Nikki take a crack at this and see if it’s a superficial resemblance or a bit more.
@nessisonett Not played that but Googling it I'm going to say this was inspired by it at the very least.
@get2sammyb It’s freeware so I’d recommend it just on the basis that it’s the absolute freakiest experience I’ve had with any piece of media. Truly horrifying stuff.
I honestly enjoyed this game. However, like many other reviews, I feel like the game lacks something; It's not scary. Granted, that is my personal feelings of the game and all things considered someone may be scared by the dark imagery and "monsters" based on Japanese urban legends. Another issue I have with it is that it is so short and restrictive in what you can say and do. It doesn't hinder the game but it doesn't help it much either. I was able to complete every ending and achievement in under two hours. I would argue that it could be done in one or less. But, I would recommend this game to everyone. Despite all that it lacks, what it does to wonderfully is convey its message. That no matter what you are suffering through, no matter how hopeless things may be and feel, there is light. There is hope. And the memories we make are precious, that they remind us that we are only human, and while we make mistakes from time to time, we are not monsters. No one can show us our worth, we determine such. And any game with a message like that is worth playing.
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