The Path Review

By Kieron Gillen Published 6 April, 2009

As far off the beaten one as you can imagine.

Version tested: PC

There's an urge to give it one out of ten. Maybe a two, because two sounds more genuine than one. One sounds like foot-stomping petulance. Two sounds considered, as if I really do mean it. I'm not, because I don't, but it'd serve a couple of good purposes. Firstly, if considered solely as a classical game, The Path is bloody terrible. Secondly, if you're the sort of person who cares about the review score, it's almost certainly not for you and I should turn you off as quickly as possible.

That's what a lot of this review is going to be about. The Path is a strange, unusual, progressive and unique game, which may even be important for the industry and the development of the form in a handful of ways. It's also so arty that it makes Braid look like 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. It's not for everyone. And I've got to write a review which says that, while not turning "It isn't for everyone" into a challenge for people who quite like to think of themselves as one of the Not Like Everyones.

The name "game" is always going to confuse people. You only really work out what something should be called after a name's codified. Names for mediums are always kind of made up on the fly. "Novel" has a particularly tortured history as a word. Comics comes from the fact they were the funny pages in the paper - but soon became anything but. A century down the line, they realised they should call comics "sequential narrative", which cuts to the core of what the medium is. It'll never stick, because it's so bloody ugly and there's already a name everyone knows. C'est la vie. We're stuck with novels, comics and games - and novels that aren't novel, comics which aren't comic and videogames which aren't...

'The Path' Screenshot 1

"Hello, girls. Anyone like the Sisters of Mercy?"

The Path is a videogame that isn't a game. Or at least, the game part is deeply vestigial. Not as much as the developers' previous The Graveyard or The Endless Forest, but this is playing on a much larger stage with its Steam release. It is deeply interactive - in fact, in parts about interaction - but in terms of the mechanics which characterise games, there's "sporadically collecting stuff". It's most like an adventure game, but there are no puzzles. The win/lose state is ironic.

That's fine. As a medium, videogames' fundamental characteristic is interaction. The classical "game" is a form of interaction, but it's not the only thing we can do, and certainly not the only thing we've loved - think of the first half of The Cradle in Thief 3, think about the rollercoaster linear scripted sequences in many shooters where you've got no chance of dying, think of selecting jokes to make in old school LucasArts adventures which don't change anything. Games are more than games. Don't come to The Path expecting any of that.

Eyes glazed over? It's safe to say that the Path isn't for you. It'll try your patience far more than a mere 500-word "what-are-games-anyway-man?" intro. And it's even more pretentious. No, really.

'The Path' Screenshot 2

A meaningful tree, yesterday.

The Path is a riff off the old Red Hiding Hood fable. You choose between six sisters, aged from nine to nineteen. You're then deposited at the start of the eponymous path and given two commands. One, go to Grandma's house. Two, stay on the path. If you obey, you can be at Grandma's house in a couple of minutes and complete the game, told by the closing screen you've failed. You probably won't do that. You go off the path and go and find your wolf. Eventually. After the confrontation, you're deposited outside Grandma's house, in the rain, slowly limp inside before being presented with a semi-interactive nightmarish walk around the house before you're finally escorted to the game-over screen with oblique, brutal images. Now the game-over screen says you've succeeded, and you're deposited back on the selection screen with a girl missing and five more left to go.

In the previous paragraph, read that wolf as "Wolf". It's not that literal. In fact, if you're looking for literal, you're really in the wrong game. The Wolf is what, for better or worse, puts an end to the girl. While nothing is explicitly shown, some ends are suggestively brutal. You suspect that the developers would agree with Poe's famous quote about the death of a beautiful woman being the most poetical topic in the world.

So it's a horror game, in an atmospheric, oblique manner. The atmosphere is the point. It's about as goth as Dracula's armpits. And as dark, though less smelly. The visuals are smeared with after-images, blurring effects, fades. The smears of sound - provided by the iconic-in-the-right-circles Swans veteran Jarboe - alternate between semi-pastoral and openly nagging oppressive, swelling brilliantly in the game's set-pieces.

And then there's the final dream-walk through the house. You're on a single track, and any interaction with the controls makes you take another step along this delirious route. If you don't, the screen slowly fades to black and growling rises... and I've never actually been brave enough to just leave it to see what happens. These sections are, for me, one of the finest formalist parts of the game - that step-to-move captures how you feel when you're actually dreaming. Running through houses, knowing something's behind you, trying to escape, knowing you're on a track, trapped...

It's not the only place where interaction is reduced for an aesthetic effect - though generally speaking, they're less successful. For example, to interact with anything in the game, you release the controls, and then the girl will wander over and have a nose at whatever's nearby. To interact, you stop interacting. I more admire the elegance of that control system than its obvious deconstruction. The one total mis-step is removing the run option when you're near an important location, forcing you walk around. It actually discourages you from exploring these locations as it takes so long to do. The most interesting parts of the game - this misty lake, this abandoned play-park, this massive stage - find their effect slightly neutered.

The stars of the game are the girls. From their visual design, to their animations, to the one-liners they respond with to whatever they find, each is well characterised and memorable. They live and they die and we know them better for that. Replaying the game for a second time, actively seeing what each girl makes of a place an earlier sister went to is part of the... fun? No, fun's not the word. But the interest. To see what happens. To explore.

(Oblique comparison: the game that The Path most reminds me of is actually Endless Ocean, with its stately pace. With a flash of Silent Hill at its most cerebral. And slowest.)

'The Path' Screenshot 3

The big boss is the well. You defeat it with a dragon punch.

If you put aside its pace - which is its point - the biggest reservations with it are how it both introduces itself to you and how it uses its game elements. The irony of the end-of-game screen undercuts somewhat callously any affection you had for the girls, for example. When it clicks, the UI is obvious - icons towards the periphery guiding you towards interesting locations - but when a game throws as many visual distortions over itself, it's easy to miss their importance. There's some minor twitchiness around some of the characters - like the mysterious girl in white occasionally running into trees or appearing, which cuts the atmosphere for a second.

The mysterious little girl? I haven't mentioned her yet. I'm not going to mention her any further. The problem with The Path is that to explain it is to ruin it. It's an exploratory game, and being surprised by the first time you see something, and wondering what it's for and what it's about is the main thing. The game rarely spells anything out. You spend a lot of time bemused - sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad - and wondering what it's about.

I'll say this: you'll have a strong opinion on it if you play it. Friend-of-Eurogamer John Walker was profoundly disturbed by its portrayal of teenage years as doomed fatalists. Others have come claiming it's a rape simulator - which, for the record, I consider unsupportable by the game, even if you take everything on a solely literal level. It is, at worse, a being raped simulator - though I'd say that was a misreading too. What do I think? Metaphorical story of one girl's growth to adulthood, with the "death" of each girl leading to the birth of the next. But that's an essay. I don't know for sure. If you play it, you'll have your take. That's kind of the point too. It sticks with you and provokes thought. It's probably art, if the a-word matters to you.

'The Path' Screenshot 4

Oh my, what big fields of flowers you have, grandma. Or something.

It's totally no fun. It's interesting, but there isn't a fun bone in its mopey body. But I've paid to go into modern art galleries. I've paid for really oddball, minimalist art films. I've gone to gigs where music is divorced from any physical reaction and raised to some cerebral, abstract place - and plenty of gigs where most sane human beings would consider there was nothing actually musical going on. I haven't, but could pay for experimental theatre tickets. Lots of poetry. Whatever.

In our corner of the world, the thing with close-to-pure art-games... well, they're all pretty much free and buried away on the internet. The Path is on one of the biggest game distribution systems in the world, for a reasonable yet "proper" price, and still does what it does. Its existence is a statement of belief that, like any other media, there's a small niche of people who are happy to actually pay for this kind of cultural material.

That's who the Path is for. And if you're one of them, The Path is probably worth it.

If you're not, really, run for your bloody life.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kieron.

About Kieron Gillen

Kieron is one of the founders of the lovely Rock, Paper, Shotgun and nowadays writes comics for Marvel starring characters that even his mum has heard of.

Read more articles from Kieron by visiting the Kieron Gillen archive page.

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Comments (77) 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Skire #1 3 years ago

    it looks pretty cool. might give it a shot!

  • Clive_Dunn #2 3 years ago

    Calling Paul Morley and the Newsnight review team.......

  • sneetch #3 3 years ago

    I'd pretty much already decided I'd buy this long before release. Funny how some games are like that.

  • stevetuck #4 3 years ago

    The game looks cool :) hope its not too exspensive :D

  • BremXJones #5 3 years ago

    $10.

    KG

  • PlugMonkey #6 3 years ago

    stevetuck: £7.50 on Steam.

    Sold!

    God, I love Steam. The best thing to happen to games in years.

  • Evolution #7 3 years ago

    I'm finding this very intriguing. Well played Gillen, well played sir.

  • dadrester #8 3 years ago

    is this by the folks who did the "being an old lady in a graveyard" sim? i liked sitting down in that game. might be worth a punt if it's cheap enough.

    [edit] hmmm seven squid...
    Edited by 1 at 06/04/09 @ 14:26

  • dr_swin #9 3 years ago

    It sounds awesome. I love these odd ball curio games. great review.

  • menage #10 3 years ago

    They should release this on PSN or XBLA as well. I love stuff like this.

  • Widge #11 3 years ago

    Yeah, I like stuff thats a little bit different to balance out something where a press of R1 = shoot.

  • Widge #12 3 years ago

    If they released this on PSN a certain SOMEONE would be appear instantly ranting about "NO GAMEPLAY".

  • Gouki #13 3 years ago

    why is it when i read a review from eurogamer or any news from them i feel the need to reward them with a banana....

  • weirdcitizen #14 3 years ago

    It's reviews like these which make me check out Eurogamer on a daily basis. Going beyond the typical, and not always useful/meaningful, deconstruction of the game into gameplay, graphics, story, etc. and instead trying to convey the game as a whole.
    Thanks for the review, Mr. Gillen.

  • Gouki #15 3 years ago

    weirdcitizen LMAO ROFL

  • beckyh #16 3 years ago

    I was reading about this game in a gaming magazine a few weeks ago.
    Each of the six girls are different and each of them meet their own personal horrors along their path.

    After Eurogamers opening sentence I am surprised to see the final score being a 7/10. Its generally a good score. Is it coming out only on PC?

  • weirdcitizen #17 3 years ago

    @ beckyh: Yes, PC-only for now. Comments on the dev's website/blog suggest they'd like to put it on consoles, but currently don't have the means to do so

  • oceanclub #18 3 years ago

    I bought this on Steam after a piece on RockPaperShotgun simply because I was intrigued by the premise and wanted to play it before I read too much more it. As an experience and to see what games are capable of, it's worth it, but the (admittedly minor) frustrations of playing it and the lure of other games mean that so far, I haven't progressed beyond the stories of 2 of the sisters. Will revisit it though.

  • BremXJones #19 3 years ago

    Oceanclub: I find it works best if you play a girl at a time. Maybe two.

    KG

  • roz123 #20 3 years ago

    I'm definatly getting this


  • Farfarer #21 3 years ago

    I'm not sure whether I prefer your or John's review better. I picked up on a lot more of the things about it that you did, although I was just as deeply disturbed and uncomfortable as John mentioned he was.

    I think what annoys me the most is that I'd have a hard time recommending this game to someone, as it isn't fun. It's an important exploration and experiment in the field of - if not games, then - interactive narritive. And it's certainly enjoyable in a fascinating and thought-provoking sort of way (rather than a visceral way as most games are).

    The game becomes quite a personal connection between you and the girls... something that's very hard to put into words. I guess it builds similar connections as you do with April Ryan and Zoe Castillo; the characters are forced through unpleasant things and as a result of you being forced to put them through it, you form quite a strong bond.

    I guess, as Shan Yu apparently once wrote; "Live with a man 40 years, share his house, his meals, speak on every subject. Then tie him up and hold him over the volcano's edge. And on that day you will finally meet the man."

  • popabawa #22 3 years ago

    Super review, it nailed my experience with 'The Path' perfectly.

    It's not oddball for oddball's sake, on the whole I found it genuinely engaging but it can be a tad tedious, you do need to give it the benefit of the doubt and indulge it on occasion.

  • ryohazuki1983 #23 3 years ago

    Cool, will pick this up, will be the first PC game i've played on my laptop since I bought it (1 year ago!) Doesn't look like the requirements will be that high (i hope), i've got a few gigs of ram etc so should be ok.


    Hadn't heard of this before, cheers!

  • Captain_Caprivi #24 3 years ago

    I actually pity the poor bastard who put these words together hoping to create a text.

  • MattyD #25 3 years ago

    I downloaded this on launch day, it's absolutely freak-awesome and you should all buy it. GO NOW FOOLS!

  • persus-9 #26 3 years ago

    That was a really great review.

    I think Kieron has done a really good job here of explaining the experience of the game and gesturing at what it's about (and more importantly what it's not about) whilist not completely giving the game away. I played the game after the RPS coverage and felt slightly let down because after reading John's impressions and the comments thread afterwards I found the moral of the "game" itself a lot more trite than I had expected. I think I'd have gone into it with more accurate expectations if I'd read this first.

    Unusally I'd suggest anyone who is wondering whether to buy this game could do a lot worse than reading this review alone and not paying any attention to any of the other chatter they might come across about this game in deciding whether it's worth paying for. I say that because a lot of the other chatter I've read has been by people who either get it or don't. Kieron seems to have managed to get it but then step back and look at it again from what I think is a more objective standpoint.

  • BremXJones #27 3 years ago

    Thanks. I'll say this much - it was a tricky one, y'know?

    KG

  • Malek86 #28 3 years ago

    Now I really need to see what happens in grandma's house when you let the screen get completely black.

  • BremXJones #29 3 years ago

    You know, when I read that line, I actually had a little shiver.

    Don't do it! You'll probably die for real.

    KG

  • seasidebaz #30 3 years ago

    Well, someone's got to say it so here goes:

    Pretentious bobbins.

  • darleysam #31 3 years ago

    I'm totally in the 'games as art' crowd, it's why I don't always like the title 'game' as it implies things that aren't always present. Interactive entertainment? Then that makes me sound like a ponce. I've been following this for a while and it just doesn't sound like it's good art. It wants to be, there's lots in there that's intended to be meaningful and expressive, but it just seems directionless with ideas tossed in because " it's, like.. really deep, man". The developers themselves have stated that the girls are 'ravaged' in some way or other, which just comes over as cheap shock value. I'm not complaining because it doesn't emphasize reflexes or reward you with a high score (in any capacity other than 'ironic'.. ho ho), or even because it's a "being raped simulator" (as I've seen arguments rage over), but because it bears all the hallmarks of people who want to be artists so badly but don't really know what they're doing. Grandma, what big ideas you've got.

  • noTHINGface #32 3 years ago

    Sounds interesting... Since it's only a couple of quid I'll grab this when I get home tonight and settle down with a glass or two. I quite like these arty (for want of a better expression) games/experiences. It's releases like this that keep me gaming.

  • butler` #33 3 years ago

    Games, eh?

    I prefer interactive entertainment tyvm.
    Edited by 1 at 06/04/09 @ 15:50

  • perchingpath #34 3 years ago

    This review finally convinced to buy this once I'm back on a machine capable of running it. In the meantime, it's made me put Floodland on again. So, success all around really.

  • Tiger_Walts #35 3 years ago

    The trip through Grandma's house isn't always linear. If you reach the house without a wolf encounter and have unlocked some of the rooms by collecting items/events you can go through alternate routes through the house. Different routes for different girls too, I believe.

    Not sure about after a wolf encounter as the 3D doesn't render for me in that instance, it's only worked once and even then the contrast was really low. Then come the flashed stills at the end.

  • BremXJones #36 3 years ago

    Tiger: It is linear as you play it is the point.

    KG

  • darleysam #37 3 years ago

    Another point of contention I have is the aspect of "you have to break the rules". When you start playing, the game explicitly tells you in no uncertain terms that you have to stay on the path. Don't leave. Now as the uninformed player, that's what you'll do, stay on the path, get to Grandma's house, and be told that you 'failed'. How subversive. It's in all the pre-release bumph that they've been loudly proclaiming how you have to break this rule if you want to succeed. Not through game design (thankfully not through arbitrary roadblocks at least), but because someone's leaning over your shoulder, bellowing in your ear that you have to break the rule they've already given you, if you want to be met with 'success', which ultimately means your character's rape and death anyway. It's not subversive or clever, it's contrived.

  • ZuluHero #38 3 years ago

    ahh sod it - i just bought it. At the current conversion rate its only £6.80 something. I've had my eye on this for ages and i've always been a keen supporter of indie developments.

    Good review. Best i've seen on EG for some time...
    Edited by 1 at 06/04/09 @ 16:21

  • BremXJones #39 3 years ago

    darleysam: Oh, c'mon. Expecting a little cultural knowledge from the gamer is fine. "Stay on the path" is what Red Riding Hood didn't do, despite being told to. In fact, if you do obey the rules without *understanding* the rules you *have* failed one of the game's few actual puzzles.

    (And I think through basic human messing around, you end up going off the path on first try too, even without the cultural allusion)

    KG

  • darc #40 3 years ago

    Excellent review. I was actually expecting a big blue "N/A" where the 7 is.

  • darleysam #41 3 years ago

    I wouldn't place that much faith in players. Your basic instinct might be to explore a little, but you fear getting lost (the breadcrumb trail in Fable 2 which encouraged exploration, because you always knew how to get back, for instance). Couple that with the game proudly declaring that you must, above all else, stay on the path, and what is the player expected to do? Yes it's an 'artistic' title so you can expect it to lie to you, but this is something you need to learn. Your basic expectation is that it's telling you what you need to know.

  • BremXJones #42 3 years ago

    I really think that would have undermined the artistic effect. If you don't get that someone quoting some of the most famous disobeyed instructions of all time means, that's a real deep level of cultural illiteracy. It's putting you in a garden of Eden game and giving the DO NOT EAT THE APPLE command, y'know?

    KG

  • ZuluHero #43 3 years ago

    "It's putting you in a garden of Eden game and giving the DO NOT EAT THE APPLE command, y'know?"

    Do i need to point out the obvious; "...but most gamers are male"? ;)
    Edited by 2 at 06/04/09 @ 16:43

  • ArcMonkey #44 3 years ago

    Finished with all the sisters except Carmen. I guess part of me expects some kind of closure once all the girls reach granny's house, like some kind of a happier ending, but I know I won't get it. I think that was Walker's problem with it as well, that it ends in doom.

  • LewisResolution #45 3 years ago

    Incredibly, I think I've managed to exhaust everything I have to say about The Path. I'd agree with Kieron's thoughts almost entirely, though would pick up on the lack of variety in the girls' responses as a major problem, and also note that I found parts of the game surprisingly uplifting.

  • LewisResolution #46 3 years ago

    "I guess part of me expects some kind of closure once all the girls reach granny's house, like some kind of a happier ending, but I know I won't get it."

    Don't be so sure.

  • UncleLou #47 3 years ago

    and also note that I found parts of the game surprisingly uplifting.

    Yeah, same here. There's the odd scene that's easily on par with Ico's end sequence in that regard.

    Anyway, great review. Really will let people find out if it's for them.
    Edited by 1 at 06/04/09 @ 16:54

  • Tiger_Walts #48 3 years ago

    Well, the 'game' subverts the language of video games in order to get you to do what it wants you to. The chapter end screen is a fine example. It provides item collection counts, mentions unlocked items, calls you a failure for not meeting the wolf and then assigns a rank. Common goal tracking methods. Those stats combined does a number of things, first it prompts you to wander off the path without it explicitly telling you to do so and as such that action still retains the illusion of being a taboo. It also pushes you to explore more, to track down all those experiences before the chapter ending wolf encounter. The wolf then becoming a secondary taboo, to be avoided but ultimately still a fate to be met.

    A secondary collection goal also exists, flowers that sparkle in the distance. They lure you through what is a foreboding environment. An icebreaker for exploration that also doubles as an aid to wayward players by awarding waypoints at collection intervals. Interestingly they also become invisible when you run. Combined with a camera that tilts down and restricting your view they all act as a governor to the player's pace. Thwarting the speed-runner and rewarding the patient.

    The slow pace then gives the player time to absorb the experiences rather than allow them to race from one to the next. You're actually less of a player and more of a director. Dictating the the general order of events and relinquishing control to the the character of each girl rather than interacting directly with the world. Many would think it a dichotomy but this actually strengthens the immersion.

  • loopy #49 3 years ago

    I bought this off Steam pretty much as soon as it became available, after hearing about it on another forum.

    I remember, before I actually purchased it, visiting the developers website to check out what it was about. Upon watching the trailer there I was almost instantly reminded of this film:

    [link url=http://www.imdb. com/title/tt0087075/
    ]http://www.imdb. com/title/tt0087075/
    [/link]

    Which just happens to be one of my favourite films ever, and pretty much sold the deal for me there and then. The "game" itself is an intriguing little gem, with tonnes of atmosphere, but as Kieron said, not for everyone. I prefer to think of it as a sort of interactive experience, something that you really need to invest some time in and let it wash over you to get the most out of it.

    It really is a very personal thing, you'll either love it or hate it, but it is at least different.

    Great review by the way KG.
    Edited by 2 at 06/04/09 @ 17:52

  • darleysam #50 3 years ago

    So the player figures out that it's overtly referencing Little Red Riding Hood, they 'break the rule' and wander off the path to meet their unfortunate and shocking demise, and that elevates it to good art? That's giving far too much credit to the developers. It's all well and good taking that, but what do you do with it? I'm hearing that it's atmospheric, meaningful and subversive, but not seeing any evidence to back this up. That's why I feel it's shallow and aimless. It does these things with no clear direction. Yes, art can be 'left open to interpretation', but it's a bad artist that just does things with no clear idea in the first place.

  • BremXJones #51 3 years ago

    darleysam: The bit you're annoyed with is basically just it being Little Red Riding Hood the game, man. It's the starting point.

    I only now realise you haven't played it - I thought by your specificity of problems you were talking about experience rather than a generalised annoyance of stuff.

    KG

  • darleysam #52 3 years ago

    Yeah I've not played it, but I've seen videos of it being played, I've read enough comments from people that have played it and both liked and hated it (including the very postive review on RPS), and had enough information to decide that it's not worth my money. My complaints are based on how through all this, I've not seen any evidence to convince me that the artistic consideration behind the design stretches beyond "well this is meaningful, better throw that in". It's something I've fallen into myself on a number of occasions and have tried to improve, and it really bothers me to see people rely on it.

  • patchbox360 #53 3 years ago

    sold

  • ChthonicEcho #54 3 years ago

    @ darleysam

    This isn't Halo. This isn't something you watch on YT played by others, look at its screenshots or read up on Wikipedia. It's not a revolutionary game, but it's definitely artistic and highly interesting (and that's what games should be as far as I am concerned - interesting first, fun second).

  • darleysam #55 3 years ago

    What's Halo got to do with it? Watch a video of someone playing Penumbra: Black Plague and it's still enough to make you tense and feel immersed. I've enjoyed plenty of 'interesting' games. Got Pathologic just the other day off the strength of the review on here, and it's completely sucked me in. I've got absolutely nothing against something with good ideas that puts traditional 'entertainment' by the wayside (although by having these good ideas and encouraging you to engage with them, that is its own form of entertainment).

  • LewisResolution #56 3 years ago

    The Path makes Pathologic look like the gamiest game in the world.

  • LewisResolution #57 3 years ago

    (Which, in essence, it is. It doesn't really attempt anything new at all. It just throws a hell of a lot into the mix.)

  • OrgasmicMutton #58 3 years ago

    I didn't really like The Path.

    Worth the punt? Undoubtably.

    Enjoyable experience? - Not really but that isn't of course what it's aiming for.

    A worthy piece of art? Debatable. I can think of plenty people who will love it and fair play to them, but it just wasn't really for me.

    i see it as having bought a ticket for the cinema and thinking the film was pretty average.

  • ChthonicEcho #59 3 years ago

    What's Halo got to do with it? Watch a video of someone playing Penumbra: Black Plague and it's still enough to make you tense and feel immersed.

    Really? I'd be bored out of my mind watching someone else playing Penumbra. In fact, I thought that game was horrid until I've decided to try it.

  • Indy #60 3 years ago

    "i see it as having bought a ticket for the cinema and thinking the film was pretty average."

    I think OrgasmicMutton makes a great point here. While this - note that I still haven't tried out this game, scratch that, thing - looks to be very atmospheric, I don't know if this is something people who play videogames, even people who value the artistic merits of games like ICO, Shadow of the Colossus amongst others, really want. I know it's not Tale of Tales' point to create something the people want. But than again, isn't that what this industry, even most indie developers, aim to do? Selling their stuff, trying to make a living? Distributing their product (they sell it, it's a product, period) on one of the biggest digital distribution platforms on offer is, in my humble opinion, actually a huge contradiction. Because, if you frankly don't care about the needs and urges of a possible audience, why in the world would you want to put it on the big display for everyone to see? I find this a little contradictory and it leads me to the next question. Is this medium suited for this kind of, for lack of a better definition let us call it this, experiment?

    I think not. Most people pay for games to have fun. And of course, this game is not for everyone. As the reviewer, who did a great job in even attempting to review something like this, points out, this is some sort of interactive entertainment. But it looks to me the story and the message, if any of these things are to be considered as such in this game, are a lot better suited to make a film. An arty film, yes. A film that probably not too many people will see and like, sure. Call me a purist, but I think games should remain games. Meaning you have to do several things to obtain a certain goal. That is, usually, not dying. Also, by letting you know that you will have to die in order to succeed in the game, I submits a lot of the possible tension that could have been. Reciting Penumbra, you really have no clue if you are going to live to tell the tale or not. You bond with your character and the characters you meet in a superb way. The tension is all around and I think it's not there when you engage in this experience. Again, maybe I have it all wrong and should try it out before making comments. From a cinematic point of view, I'm pretty sure you will be able to keep your audience on tiptoe at all times, simply becasue you don't know what is coming next and what it all means. From a gaming point of view, that doesn't work at all.

    Also note that I am not aiming to slash this experiment at all. I'm only arguing this could make a far greater film than a game. I'm all for forwarding narrative and experience in games to unknown heights. I loved Fahrenheit and I think Heavy Rain will do great as well. Those games were little experiments as well, but they never were conceived as art and stuck with more traditional game design and concepts than this one. I think that's the way to go if we are ever to lift this industry from the shooter-fighter-rps-stereotypes it has been in for quite some time.

    All in all, I think it's great somebody makes attempts like these (it fuels great discussions for one) but I don't think it's really the way to forward the gaming medium to the next level. Either people are not ready for it yet, or people will never be ready for it. You can vaguely compare it to some film majors in the fifties who experimented with different screeningtechnologies. At that time already, people were experimenting with 3D-projections but the audience didn't care for it one bit. So maybe one day...

    Please note that my mother tongue isn't English and that I spent a lot of time writing this comment. You have the full right to disagree with my opinion but please do so in a respectful way, even if you think what I say doesn't strike you right for s***. I know it's the internet but hey, one can always try :-)

  • JohnyZuper #61 3 years ago

    I know it's not Tale of Tales' point to create something the people want.

    This is incorrect. See our mission statement:
    "The purpose of Tale of Tales is to create elegant and emotionally rich interactive entertainment. We explicitly want to cater to people who are not enchanted by most contemporary computer games, or who wouldn’t mind more variety in their gameplay experiences."

    MS
    Edited by 1 at 06/04/09 @ 22:31

  • LewisResolution #62 3 years ago

    As a film, I think The Path would be dull at best, atrocious at worst.

    Most of its big innovations come down to the way we - as players - interact with the world. Be that controlling the characters, or simply the way we follow its directions. Moving the girls around the world is obtusely slow, but there's a reason for that. The removal of direct interaction control is similarly intentional, and brings with it something important to the table. In a funny way, despite being crazily unlike any other game you'd expect to play, it's also something that could only work in this medium.

    The Path's atmosphere is excellent, but it's not something I found to be particularly noteworthy. As Kieron says upthread, it's impressive, but not always overwhelming. Plus, I kind of expect this "sort" of game (ie. a narrative-driven one, linear or otherwise) to be heavy on atmosphere. If it's not, it's a bit of a failure - whether that atmosphere is deeply disturbing or just a hell of a lot of fun.

    Sidetracking remarkably, it's interesting to hear your thoughts about the way "death" is used, in both this and other games. It's something I'm writing a feature about at the moment (funnily enough, based largely on a discussion I had with both Michael from Tale of Tales and Kieron earlier today). Penumbra is impressively tense, but I'd argue it's not - and never is in any game - because you're worried you might die. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? You have to quickload - big deal. Penumbra is impressive for a number of reasons, but I don't think death has anything to do with it. Not your death, anyway - two of its most impressive moments involve the horrific demises of NPCs. And, y'know, I'd argue that the notion of "killing" the player character is largely a little bit silly in general. There's nothing remotely linking the end of a life with the need to launch a save game. This, of course, is an entirely different field, one that gets very meta and boring unless you're well into that sort of thing. Like me. I'm devoid of a fun soul.

    Anyway, one of the most horrible things about The Path is a combination of these two aspects. The fact that you know these girls are going to die, and the fact that you know you'll have to put them into the position where this is going to happen. If it were a film, you could shout at the screen at their sheer idiocy for talking to these creepy strangers. When you're the one forcing them to do so, then, well, you've no one else to blame.

    (Interestingly, I've seen a few players say they're specifically avoiding killing the girls. Still exploring the forest, seeing all there is to see, but choosing to go back to the path and enter grandma's house without being ravaged by the wolf. I think it says a lot about the emotional power of The Path that people are connecting enough with its characters that they just can't bare to do the horrible things the game requires for its terms of success.)

    On a broader note, the flaw in your argument - one you admirably concede, to be fair - is that you assume "gaming" to be about purist fun. Increasingly, I'd argue, the medium's name is a misnomer, as people do start to become interested in this sort of thing as interactive art/entertainment/whatever. If you claim games should remain rigidly stuck in traditional formula, then... well, if that had been the case from the start we'd still be making black and white sports games. Is The Path really such a big shift, at the end of the day? The first time I saw it running, at the end of last year, I was surprised at how 'gamey' it actually was. I mean, flower gems?

    Man. I've gone way off-topic. Summarily: no, The Path isn't an enormous gaming revolution. It's an impressively auteristic, often thought-provoking yet deeply flawed experience. It's really, really worth playing, as long as you're open-minded enough. But no, it isn't the future of the medium, probably. It's uncompromisingly niche, and at best it'll become a cult classic - but that's never, ever a bad thing.

  • ZuluHero #63 3 years ago

    Ok.. after playing the Path for the past 2 hours, 'completed' 3 times with 2 girls, i have 3 things to say...

    1/ I'm never going into a forest again.

    /looks around gloomy room....

    2/ No matter how interesting that gloomy struture looks in the depths of the forest, DON'T LEAVE THE PATH...

    /goes to check if front and back doors are tightly locked....

    And 3/ I'm going to sleep with the lights on...

    This isn't jump out at you scary. This is rot your brain, make you think you saw something in the corner of your eye, 'there-one-minute-gone-the-next' kinda scary...

    BUT, that being said, it does have its more tender moments. Some of the interactions are quite touching, and the mood lightens, making you forget about the forboding situation you are in...
    Edited by 3 at 07/04/09 @ 00:16

  • Gl3n #64 3 years ago

    Great review, great interactive gamey experience, for $10, it's worth a look just to see games at a more experimental and thoughful level.

  • 3william56 #65 3 years ago

    @darleysam and others - perhaps you are being too literal?

    Who says the "path" which you have to stay on is the dirt track through the woods?

    What if the path is the allotted fate/destiny of the girl that you have to stick to? Like one of the interpretations of Donnie Darko - that DD's destiny was to die in the jet engine incident, and that the rest of the film was showing what would have happened if he chose not to accept his fate.

    This sounds intriguing - and would certainly find a home on the PSN - if they'll pay for Linger in Shadows and Flower, this would seem a natural fit.

  • Reihn #66 3 years ago

    Kieron: Thank you so much for reviewing this! Bang up job - you've really given people the information they need to ascertain if The Path will be up their alley (so to speak), without revealing too much and spoiling the experience.

    I can't wait to play it, but unfortunately I have to. They say the MacOS version will be available 'late April' so fingers crossed it won't be too long!

  • lolife.se #67 3 years ago

    Why release it for the PC? This would sell in droves on the Mac. Sure, noone would understand it, but boy would they look good having it.

  • ShiroBen #68 3 years ago

    Sounds like the makers set out to make art. I think we all know where THAT path leads.

  • Reihn #69 3 years ago

    lolife.se: They -are- making it for MacOS. It'll be available later this month. Although it doesn't sound like you're genuinely interested.. ; )

    ShiroBen: When game makers set out to make art it leads . . to great, thought provoking and beautiful games? Is that your point?

    Okay, not all the time, but frequently. Think Braid, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, just to name the obvious examples. Your comment sounds pretty pithy and completely unsubstantiated. I for one wouldn't have sustained an interest in gaming if no one was trying to progress and explore it as an emotional, artistic medium.

  • Chalee #70 3 years ago

    @Reihn - OKAMI DAMMIT!

  • Hypercube #71 3 years ago

    I'm interested in this, but I was put off by the Endless Forest. A really good idea, but a terrible implementation. Crap controls, bad interface, and not enough depth to keep me coming back to it.

    Still, it's pretty cheap, and I really like the way that games are mutating into a form of odd interactive 'entertainment'.

    It does all sound like a rip off of Angela Carter's "The Company of Wolves" though!

  • Reihn #72 3 years ago

    Agreed, Chalee, agreed!

    Also, if The Path takes your fancy, you should probably read Angela Carter's excellent short story "The Company of Wolves". It's prescribed as a text in many university Feminist Literature classes. As well as that, the I'd recommend the following films:

    - Neil Jordan's adaptation of "The Company of Wolves" (as mentioned earlier by loopy) and, more obliquely,
    - French writer/director Lucile Hadzihalilovic's 2004 film "Innocence".

    Innocence is a mesmerizing, beautiful and not-altogether-literal film about a group of girls, aged between 6 and 16 who live at the centre of a dark, brooding forrest. It's very similar to the The Path in that way - although it's entirely different in most others. Highly recommended.

    Edit: Hypercube: You beat me to it, sir. It, in this case, being 'mentioning Angela Carter'. : )
    Edited by 2 at 07/04/09 @ 12:09

  • Carpathian #73 3 years ago

    Cheap cost + intriguing review * Jarboe audio = Purchase

    You can't argue with maths.

  • TheComedian #74 3 years ago

    BremXJones: '$10. '

    PlugMonkey:' £7.50 on Steam'

    is this what the mighty pound has been reduced to? :( I couldn't have chosen a worse time to have a year abroad in America.

    Anyway, I get the feeling I would really enjoy this game, almost certainly gonna buy it.

  • TheComedian #75 3 years ago

    Oh yeah, I forgot to say - GREAT review!

  • ZuluHero #76 3 years ago

    @TheComedian

    I got it for £6.80 something getting the standalone EXE and using paypal. Pay Pal was asking $9.99 for it.
    Edited by 2 at 07/04/09 @ 14:47

  • RedSparrows #77 3 years ago

    /obligatoryanticroftopost

    shut up you ass

    /continue

  • Reihn #78 3 years ago

    Really? Some retarded ass was being a retarded ass?

    I love my ignore list.. : )

  • uk_john #79 1 year ago

    he Path has one 2 huge awards in Spain (ToT also got $16,000 -nice!), as a reward, you can get The Path for $4.99 (£3.25) from their website! Same goes for the Mac version! :)

    Great review by the way. And I find most of the 1/10 scores are people that just bought a $10 horror game 'on the cuff' and then wanted to tell the world how much they hated it because it wasn't Resident Evil!