Recent reviews by ItzLeviVT

Scarlet Hollow, developed by Black Tabby Games, is a survival horror visual novel, a genre I'm very unfamiliar with, good for gamers that crave an interactive experience in their story-rich games. With four chapters released so far and the promise of more to come, the game has already made a significant impact, blending psychological tension with a rich narrative. This review contains slight spoilers but nothing that will detract from your experience.

My Experience:
As someone who typically enjoys interactive dramas more than traditional visual novels, I was initially skeptical about diving into Scarlet Hollow. However, the game quickly dispelled any doubts. Despite being a visual novel, I found myself deeply engaged. The story, while not entirely new, is compelling: you visit the town of Scarlet Hollow, once run by your family, to attend your aunt Pearlanne’s funeral and stay with your cousin, Tabitha. Over the course of a week, you’re free to explore the town and interact with its inhabitants, all while a dark mystery unfolds.

What I loved:
The art in Scarlet Hollow is nothing short of impressive, especially considering the small team behind it. From what I've gathered on Twitter, one person is responsible for most of the drawings, with occasional help on animations. But what really elevates the game is its sound design. It’s one of the most underrated features, enhancing the narrative and standing out in key scenes, like the seance's railroad scene and the Tommyknocker encounter in the mines. The sound design in these moments is so effective that it gave me chills every time.

Standout Feature:
One of the standout features of Scarlet Hollow is how your decisions truly matter. In many choice-driven games, multiple paths often lead to the same outcome, making the choices feel less impactful. Not so in Scarlet Hollow. Characters adapt to your decisions in meaningful ways. Explore every dialogue option, and some characters will see you as open; choose fewer options, and you might be viewed as passive. Even seemingly minor actions, like skipping a shower, can affect how other characters perceive you. These choices don’t just alter dialogue—they can completely change the course of your game. Like any game, there are mandatory events. Your actions leading up to the event, can influence who is present at them, and there are plenty of optional events you can skip, further personalizing your experience.

Areas for Improvement:
If I had to pinpoint an area where Scarlet Hollow could improve, it would be the balance of its trait system. Before starting the game, you can choose two character traits that influence how events play out. While these traits add depth to the gameplay, they seem unevenly balanced for a survival horror game. Some traits are clearly better suited for ensuring your survival, while others enhance immersion but might not help you survive the week. This imbalance does make for interesting combinations on a second playthrough, but it could be frustrating for players looking for a more consistent experience.

Target Audience:
Scarlet Hollow isn’t for everyone. It’s a perfect fit for fans of visual novels and immersive storytelling. However, even those who enjoy adventure RPGs might find something to love here. If you’re looking for traditional “gameplay” or open-world exploration, this might not be the game for you.

Unique Elements:
One of the most unique aspects of Scarlet Hollow is its replayability. I usually don’t replay games unless there’s a significant update, but I found myself revisiting Scarlet Hollow multiple times. Completing the currently available episodes unlocks a “hardcore mode,” where you can choose three traits but can’t rely on them to save you from the consequences of your choices. I’ve played this mode several times, experimenting with different traits and decisions, and each playthrough felt fresh, even though I knew the mandatory events. On my third playthrough, I even encountered three new characters I hadn’t met in the first two.

Overall Impression:
Overall, Scarlet Hollow has been a positive experience, and I highly recommend it. While Black Tabby Games is perhaps better known for their larger project, Slay the Princess, Scarlet Hollow is a strong title in its own right. It’s been one of my favorite games to let’s play on my YouTube channel , and I’m eagerly anticipating the release of the upcoming episodes.

The Night is Grey - A Story-Driven Adventure
Warning: Spoilers

In The Night is Grey, simplicity is key, allowing its narrative to shine. My play-through was enjoyable, with some noteworthy ups and downs.

Visually, the hand-drawn style gives the game a cozy indie feel. However, the lack of customization options, particularly for caption size, makes it hard for me as a content creator and might be a downside for others.

Sound design plays a significant role in creating immersion. The game uses sound effects to enhance immersion, and some of the background music tracks I would even consider casually listening to outside of the game. However, the use of silence was lackluster. While some scenes benefited from the abrupt stopping of sound or lack of sound, others were hurt by it. In some places, such as on the park ranger's lookout balcony, the game felt hollow, and whether that was intentional or not, I sometimes found it jarring.

The narrative kept me hooked throughout, with its subtle references to fable adding depth. As someone who didn't draw comparisons to Little Red Riding Hood immediately, the game's narrative was enough alone to keep me engaged. The story is very good, and the twist ending is always appreciated. The standout moment for me was when I had put all the pieces together regarding the events of chapters 5 and 6 occurring prior to chapter 1 but still hadn't figured it out until the moment it was revealed.

Puzzles in The Night is Grey varied in quality; while most were logical, some felt arbitrary, leading to frustration. Examples of puzzles that frustrated me were in chapter 2, having to use the screwdriver to prop open the gate, in chapter 3 not knowing that one of the pump room valve wheels was behind some books, and in chapter 4, having to guess that the gas puzzle could go off-grid to be solved. While these didn't take away from the game, they did put a halt to my immersion. I eventually solved chapters 2 and 4's puzzles with repeated trial and error, but for chapter 3, I had to seek external sources. Please note, I did receive the achievement for finding and reading all the journals in-game, which has me inclined to think that I didn't miss any indication of how to solve these puzzles.

Overall, The Night is Grey offers a compelling narrative experience, albeit with some bumps along the way. I would recommend this game if you don't mind a game that completes its main narrative but leaves its side narratives up for interpretation. Despite reading all the journal entries, we're left not knowing exactly what happened to the park ranger after he goes missing in chapter 4. I also wish there was more information fleshing out the wolves and Graham's backstory as a child. If you're a fan of story-driven adventures, it's worth playing.

A unique take on the MOBA genre. As someone who loves MOBAs but doesn't like battle royales, I very much enjoy this game. Like most MOBAs, at times I question the balancing of certain characters (Yes Chef), and the game isn't very friendly for knew players. I've encouraged most of my friends to stick with the game despite not having MOBA backgrounds and most now enjoy playing. Tutorial needs work, but once the basics are understood the grind to keep getting better is fun.