Gaming Impression Part 1: The Path

In brief: Three words/phrases that sum this game up to me (which I’ve seen elsewhere): Metaphorical, dark fable, morality-play.

“The Path” is a game for the emotionally and mentally adventurous, for fans of psychological horror and people ready to be tweaked, disturbed and perhaps self-exposed. It’s 10 bucks for a very rich 6 hours – 8 hours to “solve,” but the impressions and lessons stay with your psyche much longer. I like it and exploring the website offers even more information. The game is deceptively innocent until you start to engage with it and then it turns delightful...and then chilling and disturbing. This is NOT for children.

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So I’ve been playing around with “The Path”, a short (6 hours estimated) horror game based on the older non-sanitized versions of the Little Red Riding Hood fable. I‘ve always found that story somewhat unnerving at points, so making it into a horror game seems pretty logical to me. So far (I’ve not completed it yet) this is beautifully macabre, deceptive, psychological horror experience and it is insidiously intriguing especially for only $10 PC or Mac download.

If you want to hack things and kill mindlessly, this is NOT your game. If you want T&A-slasher-bloodfest, well this is probably is not your game either. If you need to be told what to do with clear directions and have tidy explanations for every little thing that happens this definitely isn’t for you. Don’t like disturbing images/ concepts involving young females? Absolutely cannot handle adult themes or you think symbolism/metaphor should be left in a book? Really, really do not play this game. And if you want to call this a “female” game – you'd be terribly misguided and making a BIG mistake.

If you can handle and are intrigued with the idea that this game plays you as much as you play it – then I think you need to play this game. If you can bend your mind to the concept that a game can be an experience, will require you to apply your mature mind to play it or interpret, then you may want to download the free demo that shows how the world functions (gives little away in the game story) and adds mystery as its a prologue. The demo ensures it will run on your machine.

The visuals are very artsy, atmospheric and gorgeous. The effects such as rain, walking in a misty forest or the dappled play of sunshine through a dark canopy of leaves are well-done. This game wants you to be immersed. The music and sound effects are superb and gothic the soundtrack by Jarboe. Depending on what you and your character do or where you go, the music morphs from mood to mood almost seamlessly and is quite haunting (even if one of the songs gets a bit redundant for me). Excellent ambient and sound efects. The engine behind the game is designed to allow your character autonomy, that is you can control her, guide her around to “attractions” or points of interest but how she interacts with them is often out of your control. You have watch and learn for good or ill. The girls definitely have their own ideas. There are special spots in the forests for each of the girls with discoveries, thrills, chills or spills. And so much worse.

Playing this in a traditional gaming sense merits you nothing but annoyance at the lack of boss monsters, clear objectives (beyond going to Grandma’s house and to "stay on the path"), no exposition and even at points, control. My suggestion should you try it is to play this like a child, you have to just go into it and be open. Accept the possiblities and make your choices based on this.

You are presented with 6 different characters that are sisters of all different ages, personalities loveliness and world viewpoints. The serious and lonely Scarlet, the sexually-blossoming Carmen, gothic Ruby, wild nature-child Ginger, timeless Rose and the red-hooded innocent, Robin. You can play each of them and if you choose you may get them to grandmother’s house…one way or another. As you negotiate them icons and sometimes images that show presumably what thoughts your girl has at any moment or identifies an item she might go investigate further, even warns of some possibilities - if you guide her that way.

And then there are the always dangerous, violent, deadly, terrifying though sometimes seductive wolves. I’ll post about them and my first character interaction tomorrow as the conclusion of this review.