![]() ![]() In fact, it’s made more impressive that the game’s short first episode can pack enough mystery and payoffs before the credits roll. This is backed by a bone-chilling whisper of unknown entities in a dark forest or the sudden freezing of a soundtrack for the next panel.Ĭharacters like Tabitha paint a gloomy scene while her introversion creates more questions than answers in early chats. This drops a huge horror ball, making Scarlet Hollow effective in executing scares. But when Howard brings her brand of supernatural monstrosities in, players could be dropping their jaws at the sheer sight of things they’ve been investigating. Going against point-and-click nature, Scarlet Hollow actually sends some chills by touching on human themes. Stellar writing makes these characters, frozen in panels, realistic and immediately likeable from Episode 1. This gives players a satisfaction of interacting with characters the way they actually would. Instead of throwing exposition, each dialogue choice is more subjective than other past titles including Telltale Batman and Mass Effect. Despite their shared tiredness from living in the town, I was impressed by how their quirks and identities unfolded in discussion. Players are thrown into an all-too familiar mystery story, but finds its footing by introducing some of Howard’s unique characters. Of course, the game is set in the titular town of Scarlet Hollow. Fans of these franchises will feel immediately welcome at the moment they wake up in a bus carrying them to Scarlet Hollow. Players can quickly become comfortable under a toned colour palette, blended with a campy but noir atmosphere to ooze Stranger Things or Gravity Falls. In the likes of Telltale‘s series of point-and-click games, much of Howard’s production is idea-driven through characters. If Scarlet Hollow sounds like a motion comic, that’s because it plays out like one with some welcome layers. For Scarlet Hollow, this thriller changes with characters and each panel springing to life at players with a constant motion of choices and text dialogue. It’s also a Kickstarter-based collaboration with indie studio Black Tabby Games and injects pure creativity for the sheer fun of it. Hand-drawn by artist Abby Howard, her range of neo-gothic horror and monster making are in full force. These are also well-executed, enough to pull players along for more episodes in the future. ![]() They each give players opportunities to navigate the town, which later rewards curiosity with unsettling moments. The first episode, free on Steam, does a great job in settling new visitors with a cast of likeable characters. Its chills come from an old-school suspense and discovering that not everything is as it seems when players sink further into a brief episodic tale. ![]() Its execution in a horror visual novel works well through old-school mysteries and slow buildup in its short time. Make sure to continue visiting for the latest coverage from around the world of gaming, including all the latest news and reviews.Scarlet Hollow proves not all horror games need jump scares or hyper violent animations for them to work. If you’re looking to make a start though, the first episode is available on Steam right now and, best of all, it’s absolutely free! There’s no word yet on how many episodes there are supposed to be in the complete series, so there may well be a lot more to come before we get to see out the story to its conclusion. ![]() The first instalment was well-received by fans and critics alike, garnering positive reviews and scores with most citing the games excellent narrative structure and unique art style as the main positives for players. Whilst avoiding spoilers, the first episode takes us to an Appalachian coal mining town where the protagonist attends the funeral of a long-lost Aunt before becoming deeply embroiled in an ancient mystery that threatens the entire populace. Originally funded via Kickstarter, the game managed to raise a little over $81,000 with the support of 2726 backers offering players the chance to experience the hand-drawn visuals and branching narrative of award-winning writer and artist Abby Howard. Scarlet Hollow, the choice-driven horror adventure which released its initial offering back in September 2020, has today confirmed episode 2 will be hitting virtual shelves on the 11 th of June. ![]()
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