The Path
It's hard to call that gem a game. It's a rather artistic piece, less litereal than "Dark Eye" (no, not that piece of crap that Darkensang is), but in the simmilar spirit and the controls limitation.
For those who don't know that gem, it's a variation about the Red Ridding Hood, a very grim one. It tells, or rather hints a story of six sisters, each of different age, each with different approach to the world. Every girl has the same goal, as the "player" may initially think - get to the grandmother's house, to wich leads a straight, sunny path.
Thing is, when you'll reach the house safe and sound, the game says you've failed, even though you've followed the main objective.
The real fun starts when you enter the woods.
When you venture into the woods, everything starts to change. Eerie music blends with strange sounds, the sunny and vibrant colors from the main path bleak and the path itself... dissapears. You can't go back, because you can't find the path. At least without the help of that little, pale girl in white dress.
But like I wrote before - delivering the food to the grandma isn't the way to "win".
The Path is, in fact, a psychological horror that scares with atmosphere and suggestions. Every single bit of information that you'll find (be that a lone swing in the middle of the woods or a single wall of the building) about the girls path it's up to you to interpretate. But there's no happy ending for any of these girls. To win, or rather - to not get the "you failed" message, you have to find wolf. And every girl has different wolf to discover. It could be a long-time-lost friend on a field full of flowers or a big wearewolf preying on the abandonned children playground.
Normal or casual gamers won't find anything interesting in this "game". The controls consist of left and right mouse button, the movements are slow, the camera deliberately wents out of control when we want to move faster. There is no killing, no action, there isn't much to read.
One must set his mind for an experience that will leave him with more questions than anwsers after finishing it. One thing is sure - there is no happy ending, but that's just the only anwser. The rest of the anwsers are for you to make, not to find. The same goes for questions - you have to ask them yourself.
I really recomend this gem to all of those people that are bored with games of the mainstream or games in general. It's an interactive story with virtually no story, and yes - it works. It's a beautiful and eerie experience that I've thought about (and I'm still thinking) long after I've finished it.
This product is avaliable on steam for about ten bucks. I strongly recomend it.
