White Shadows Review
Release Date: December 7th, 2021
Developers: Monokel
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S (Reviewed), PC, PlayStation 5
Price: $19.99
One of the most fascinating things about puzzles as a mechanic and puzzles as a genre is that they can be utilized in myriad ways and can usually help a game stand out and become memorable because of it. Titles that aren't considered puzzle games but have heavy implementation of them such as Legend of Zelda, older God of War titles, and Tomb Raider all benefited heavily from their puzzle aspects and are a big part of what makes them so iconic to this day, but when puzzles are utilized as pure experience from beginning to end, you can create something truly special that leaves a heavy impact depending on the quality, thoughtfulness, and utilization of said puzzles. These were the driving forces for games like Portal, The Room, Monument, Stanley Parable, and The Witness that have all become household names within the genre alongside obtaining some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, and are responsible for moving the genre forward as well as inspiring the many games we see today. These games have evolved over time to create new side-scrolling adventures that have spawned new and beloved classics such as Limbo, Little Nightmares, Darq, and 7th Sector that leave dialogue to the side and tell their stories through the environments, visuals, and gameplay that are crafted and weaved harmoniously to leave typically unforgettable experiences. White Shadows takes inspiration from a lot of the greats and tells an almost Orwellian story that sees a very clear class-based future where certain animals are ostracized more than others in society, devaluing their worth simply because of the type they are. Playing as a little girl represented as a raven, you'll go across beautifully intricate levels painted in myriad shades of black and grays to convey a dark, tenebrous, and somber atmosphere that subtly lathers on a narrative that's heavy, with a level design that is consistent and creative and hard to put down outside of a few frustrating quirks.
Right away White Shadows lets players know that everything within the game will be tackling extremely heavy and sensitive topics that may not be palatable to some players, touching on topics such as racism, the killing of children, and more that the game metaphorically displays through its unique art direction. Naturally, the game has a few horror elements due to the horrendous acts and subjects it touches upon, but despite its topics White Shadows does all of this so eloquently that it feels more like an experience of teaching and learning rather than a gore-fest. White Shadows is simplistic in its gameplay as well and should feel very familiar to those who have played games like these in the past, where you'll be using just a few buttons at most to progress through the game, namely movement, jumping, and grabbing. Similarly to titles like those as well, a lot of stealth mechanics are utilized where you'll have to avoid the likes of spotlights and other figures and machines that could essentially capture you (and more than likely kill you in the process). These mechanics are mostly done well outside of a few frustrations where jumps may not feel exact, and an inconsistent checkpoint system that will test your patience more than anything else. Checkpoints and auto-saves (since you can't manually save) are arguably the biggest reason why I found myself on multiple occasions wanting to give up, as some either felt too far or were in other chapters entirely. It's possible that the saves not activating at the beginning of some chapters could have been a bug, but either way when I've reloaded and am left to the last few puzzles of the previous chapter, needless to say it can feel disruptive to the progression of the game. It's one thing to be left right before the start of the new chapter with one puzzle or a boss fight, but when there's a solid ten minutes of gameplay you'll have to find yourself recapping, it can cause a huge level of inconvenience when the puzzles and platforming themselves already tend to exhaust from the brainstorming and problem-solving you'll be doing from section to section.
It's environmental storytelling is really where White Shadow shines, however, and it's one of the biggest reasons why you want to keep going is to see how it all weaves and then unfolds in real time as you progress through the game despite the frustrations that to come along with it. White Shadows' noir aesthetic puts a big emphasis on a black and white monochromatic presentation that adds to the bleakness of the world you're going through as the raven girl, so it gives off even more strength in its emotion as you go through and witness some of the things that happen from point to point. Some of the bigger set pieces and confrontations certainly give off that sense of insignificance when looking at the grand scheme of things, but on the flip side the smaller, more intimate encounters and level design leave just as big of an impression - ones that harken back to that of Little Nightmares. Backgrounds come to life, and foregrounds accentuate and complement the surroundings you'll jump, run, and hide through. Even with its environmental storytelling and narrative focus taking somewhat of a backseat, White Shadows still feels like an exciting yet bleak theme park to run through that further strengthens one of the reasons why I love this genre and type of gameplay so much. There's an intimacy here that typically can't be replicated as you're set to take in your surroundings, and the visuals aren't simply visuals, but a mechanic and an immersion tactic as well. Much like the design of the levels of White Shadows and games of this nature, the environment never feels like a dressing, but very much the main course.
With our review copy on Xbox Series X|S, White Shadows looks and plays great with little in the way of technical problems that would hinder the experience outside of the aforementioned frustrations that come with its platforming precision and checkpoint system. Specifically playing on Xbox Series S on a 4K TV, the game runs fluidly and with vibrancy despite a lack of color. Its utilization of the bright and darks within its black and white shading is done well to set the scene up for moodiness, eeriness, and the like, and all of this is even further enhanced with auto-HDR enabled to really give those pitch black scenarios a more somber and atmospheric canvas to play and experience the game on. Edges are smooth, and the only thing I really noticed during my playthrough was a small stutter that would happen sporadically, but it's likely that the average player wouldn't recognize it. This is also few and far between to the point that I just dismissed it and continued on playing. From beginning to end, White Shadows will essentially give you a near-perfect representation of what makes the genre so great, from its inviting puzzles, cryptic atmosphere and story, as well as its art direction that's the most refreshing I've seen in years.
In the end, White Shadows is yet another wonderful addition to the narrative genre of dark, side-scrolling puzzle games that tell a story through its environment and the evolution of each area, and wonderfully weaves in a unique creative direction on how to tackle sensitive subjects. Though its platforming could be a little more refined, just about everything else that matters with games like these is fairly polished, and what's even more impressive is the fact that all of this is created by a such a small studio. With such a creative and visually appealing direction, there's no denying that White Shadows could be up there with the greats of the genre such as Little Nightmares and Inside, however a sloppy checkpoint system that feels simultaneously fair and unfair can lead to frequent frustrations when I'm left reloading a save file from a previous chapter despite having gone into a new one just because of a lack of a fluid auto-save system in place. The sporadic nature of White Shadows puzzles, platforming, and difficulty spikes can make a lot of it feel uncomfortable - almost more so than its topics - but if you can look past the few quirks and be a little patient with it, White Shadows is certainly a fantastic experience that showcases the beauty of what this genre can offer.
PROS:
Its art direction (including the black and white aesthetic) is extremely visually appealing
The environmental storytelling that happens through puzzles is cleverly weaved into the gameplay
The overall design of White Shadows is extremely intricate and beautiful
CONS:
The checkpoint system sort of feels all over the place, with some being fair and others being way behind a few puzzle and tasks you've already completed
Some of the platforming could be refined
A big thank you to Thunderful, Monokel, and Plan of Attack for providing us a copy of White Shadows for the purposes of this review!