A Walk in the Dark Is Indeed Dark, Also Beautiful
Image via Flying Turtle Software
There seems to be something of a trope/standard/thing of late for indie games to feature pared-down graphics along with a moody, expressive soundtrack.
Journey did it, Deadlight did it, and A Walk In The Dark (AWITD) does it as well.
It would be easy to look at AWITD and write it off as a Limbo clone, given that it uses a similar silhouette-heavy look throughout, but to do so would be a disservice. If we’re going to call out AWITD for using similar graphics to Limbo, should we not call out Limbo for using platforming mechanics similar to every Mario game ever?
Regardless of where you stand on the subject, there’s more to AWITD than simply aping Limbo. I’ve not played it myself, but the various gameplay videos flying around suggest the game playes more along the lines of Super Meat Boy and VVVVV, both of which are faster-paced than Limbo.
AWITD looks like it plays as more of a technical platformer, relying on quick thinking and quicker reactions than Limbo’s trial-and error, slower paced gameplay. The game looks much faster paced, including several speed-run levels which you navigate by switching or flipping gravity to avoid obstacles, in the same style as VVVVV. In-game, you’ll primarily control a small cat called Bast, negotiating a world littered with deadlyobstacles and lethal inhabitants.
And that soundtrack I mentioned? You can listen to it on Spotify or Bandcamp for free, or go buy it on iTunes. I suggest you do one of the three.
The game is still in development by Flying Turtle Software, and scheduled for release some time this year. It’s just recently been put up on Steam Greenlight, which is a community tool for getting games onto Steam which otherwise wouldn’t be there. Vote for games you like, and if they get enough attention, they’ll go on sale for everyone to buy.
So go, vote for the game on Steam, like their videos on Youtube, do whatever you have to, and I’ll do my best to get the game reviewed when it comes out.
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