Remember when you were afraid of the dark? Yomawari: Night Alone plays off of that primal fear we all felt when we were little and the dark was a menacing presence we could only escape with illumination. The premise of Yomawari entails your dog running away while on a routine walk. Upon telling your older sister, she leaves the house to find the dog, but does not return leaving you alone in the house. In a moment of bravery, you grab a flashlight and begin to search the town for the pair.
As the trailer states, everything looks different at night, and you soon discover the dark can be a terrifying place. The creatures seen within the trailer come from Japanese urban legends and folklore, and frankly seem quiet strange and bizarre. I think this element of the game will add some mystery and sense of discover to enemy encounters. The press release indicates that some creatures may be evil, where some may simply be misunderstood. As a western that knows nothing about Japanese culture, this could make for interesting encounters. Typically in horror games, everything is out to get you. Strange benevolent creatures would be a nice change of pace to the genre while building upon the fears we have as children. The world after all can be a strange place, when viewed through the lense of a child.
Gotta hate the happy-drain-clog-spider monster
Yomawari touts open world environments, and gameplay revolving around running and hiding to avoid enemy encounters. You’ll be able to catch this isometric horror title October 25th on Steam and Vita in North America. Europeans will be able to confront the terrors of the night on their Vita October 28th. It may be summer, but the dread of Halloween is slowly creeping upon us. Yomawari seems to be an interesting entry to the horror genre.
