It’s been seven years since I first set foot in Possum Springs, and there are days when it feels like I never left. Maybe it’s because of the stories of the people who lived in that “idyllic” town night in the woods Just hit it that hard. Maybe it’s because my room is filled with game figures, shirts, and other miscellaneous paraphernalia and has been for years. As I write this, the main character’s best friend, Greg, is staring at me from across the room. On the shelf above my door is a hat that says “CRIME” under the brim. I guess I just live there.
this is that power night in the woods Impress your players. This extraordinary adventure game set in a rust-belt town will launch on September 17 on the Extra tier of PlayStation Plus, which will offer an expanded catalog of games updated monthly. it had a profound impact on my lifeit’s one of the most important games of the past decade, and you have no reason not to play it now.
Let me start simply and kindly: night in the woods This is my de facto fall game. I know you’re all feeling the cooler temperatures and I’ve been wearing my coziest hoodies and sweaters indoors. Soon the leaves will change color and then they’ll fall from the trees and before you know it we’ll be layering up, straight from a picturesque park walk when harry met sally. Never before or since has a game made such wonderful use of the full autumnal palette night in the woods. It literally swims in a rich swirl of tan and fiery orange that will have you instinctively reaching for a coat. Mei, the game’s protagonist, walks around the streets of her hometown, kicking up leaves wherever she goes. Although the air was decidedly cold, the sky was bright and bright, and the night almost swallowed you whole. In a word, it has aura.
night in the woods It is also a source of great comfort. I’ve always been leaning toward the fact that May’s unceremonious return to Possum Springs was prompted by her nervous breakdown and subsequent dropout from college. When I played the game in 2017, Mae and I were 20-year-olds feeling the growing pains of adulthood and our own deteriorating mental health. I wouldn’t drop out for another few years, but when I did, it was largely for the same reason: I needed inner peace and some sense of normalcy in the midst of a personal crisis.
May is just like us. For years she had been diminished, feeling like she no longer existed, broken, as countless loved ones expressed to me in late-night conversations. She feels like she doesn’t deserve much in this life, yet she desperately wants more from it than what she’s getting. She returned to the city to escape with her old friends, chatting and feeling something. She had painful conversations with her parents, reflected on embarrassing stories from her teenage years, and was unable to control her drinking while in the throes of depression. She’s hilarious too, and I think the humor comes from insecurities. You know those jokes about how hypochondriacs use humor to distract and mask their emotions? Yes, May embodies that. She’s the most authentic protagonist I’ve ever encountered, which makes her one of my favorite characters.
Despite how gloomy the material is night in the woods It may sound so, but it’s rarely so overtly gloomy. night in the woods May’s stay at Possum Springs is divided into different days, each one an excuse to walk around, jump on rooftops, and spiral. You can have tons of tough and funny conversations with people on the game’s critical path, but there’s also a lot of nostalgic joy and catharsis along the way, especially at the end of certain days when you have to prioritize hanging out with one person. May’s closest friends, like Greg, Bea, Angus, and even weirdo Jem who lives… somewhere. Mr. Chazokov, one of May’s former teachers, lets May gaze at the stars on his roof and teaches her about the history and legends of the constellations. There are mice that need saving and pretzels that need to be stolen. have Playable band practice There’s also a Halloween celebration!
to the end of the year night in the woodsyou will definitely fall in love with the small town of Possum Springs and never want to leave. Maybe you’d also decorate your room with bits and pieces taken from the game and consider etching them onto your own body, like I’m currently planning on doing. At the very least, it’ll be on your dashboard and something you can consider returning to whenever you need a dose of reality, a dose of whimsy, a home away from home, or a reminder that it’s okay if things don’t go your way.