The Whispering Valley
- November 30, 2022
- Studio Chien d'Or
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"The Whispering Valley" is a narrative-driven adventure game set in a mystical valley filled with secrets and supernatural phenomena. Players will uncover the valley's past and present by interacting with its inhabitants, solving puzzles, and exploring the beautiful hand-drawn environments. The game explores themes of nature, spirituality, and the passage of time.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a captivating story that unfolds gradually, keeping players engaged and guessing until the end.
- The atmosphere is brilliantly crafted, with dark and gothic visuals that enhance the eerie feeling of the village.
- Puzzles are generally well-designed and integrated into the story, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating.
- Loading times between scenes can be excessively long, disrupting the flow of gameplay and immersion.
- The game requires a lot of backtracking, which can feel tedious and may benefit from a fast travel option.
- Some puzzles can be obscure, leading players to seek external guides for assistance, which may detract from the overall experience.
- story56 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "The Whispering Valley" is a compelling blend of horror and mystery, unfolding through character interactions and environmental storytelling that keeps players emotionally invested. While the narrative is somewhat familiar, it is well-executed with surprising twists and a haunting atmosphere that enhances the experience. Players appreciate the intriguing characters and the gradual revelation of the village's secrets, making it a worthwhile play for fans of story-driven games, despite some critiques regarding pacing and interface.
“The story unraveled in a slow and methodical manner that left me with surprises at most every turn, and I love the pacing of it. This is a two-hour game that feels much longer, and not for the wrong reasons.”
“The game flows very well and puzzles make sense and are well integrated within the story.”
“Amazing game with a wonderful atmospheric and haunting story.”
“Story-wise, it has been done before to different degrees.”
“One would wish for the story to be a little deeper, as aspects of it are left unexplored -- are the whispers real?”
“It felt like a bunch of fetch quests with horror surroundings.”
- atmosphere32 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, gothic, and immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and unease without relying heavily on jumpscares. Players appreciate the combination of detailed visuals, sound design, and a haunting narrative that draws them into the eerie world, making it a standout experience in the folk horror genre. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as captivating and integral to its storytelling, enhancing the player's engagement and emotional response.
“The whispering valley is hands down one of the most atmospheric and effective horror games I've played in a while.”
“This is very much a 'play alone in the dark with headphones on' game. It lives and succeeds thanks to its atmosphere; the visuals, sound design, and story are all designed to make you feel alone and unnerved, and this game makes it work.”
“Investigating the village house by house and slowly putting the story together while the dreadful atmosphere of this village looms over you was a great experience.”
“The atmosphere and sound design alone give that creepy feeling that sends chills down my body and gives me goosebumps on my arms and legs.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beautiful and immersive quality, effectively enhancing the haunting atmosphere and storytelling. While some users noted that the graphics can be mediocre or not crisp on lower settings, many highlighted the detailed visuals and art style that contribute to a unique and eerie experience. Overall, the combination of visuals, sound design, and ambiance creates a compelling environment that draws players into the narrative.
“The ambient music was fantastically effective when combined with the visuals; this is a team that really understands the importance of ambiance and lighting. The levels were all gorgeously put together, and it's clear they didn't just buy a bunch of random assets and throw them together, but instead selectively chose works they enjoyed and then weaved them together into a beautiful and creepy Quebecois village.”
“The highly detailed graphics, sound, and atmosphere blended so well!”
“It's a simple game with beautiful graphics.”
“It is a short, point and click game, with simple puzzles, mediocre graphics, and a dark, slightly odd, plot.”
“My PC is about a year old with good hardware, tried restart, reduction of resolution, graphic settings - nothing helped.”
“I would strongly suggest that you set your graphics to medium at least because on my old potato and low details there were some hints that weren't clear to me and took a while to figure it out.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a short duration of 2-3 hours, with a focus on exploration and puzzle-solving, though some players found the mechanics repetitive due to limited interaction points. While the atmosphere and storytelling received praise, the lack of a fast travel system disrupted immersion, particularly towards the end. Overall, the gameplay is smooth and reminiscent of titles like "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter," appealing to those who appreciate minimal mechanics and a strong narrative.
“Great atmosphere, immersive environment, minimal mechanics (good thing, for me), and nice dark story.”
“I found it was very similar to The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, in gameplay and how the story progressed - which was great because I loved that game too.”
“I didn't run into any bugs, the gameplay was very smooth.”
“Although this technically didn't impact the gameplay, it did break the flow of things.”
“I know it would break immersion, but a fast travel system would have helped massively, especially near the end where the gameplay was nearly 50% clicking through areas I've already been to and 50% story.”
“Overall gameplay time is short.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally regarded as effective, with some reviewers noting it as passable while others praise its ability to enhance the atmosphere and visuals. The ambient music, in particular, is highlighted for its effectiveness in creating suspense and complementing the game's setting, showcasing a thoughtful selection of soundscapes that contribute to the overall experience.
“The ambient music was fantastically effective when combined with the visuals. This is a team that really understands the importance of ambiance and lighting. The levels were all gorgeously put together, and it's clear they didn't just buy a bunch of random assets and throw them together, but instead selectively chose works they enjoyed and then weaved them together into a beautiful and creepy Quebecois village.”
“The background ambience was perfect, using natural sounds to build the suspense along with perfectly timed music.”
“Atmosphere, visuals, and sound/music is, again, good.”
“The music is passable, but could have been better.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional investment in the game's story, which enhances their overall experience. The puzzles, while not overly challenging, contribute to a sense of accomplishment that further deepens the emotional engagement.
“I was fully emotionally invested in the story too.”
“The puzzles are not overly difficult, but at the same time, they made me feel accomplished when I figured them out.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its charmingly old-school elements, such as a hilariously designed door with a lock, which adds a lighthearted touch without detracting from the overall experience.
“It has the most hilarious door with a lock, lol! It's done in such an old-school and cute way that I can't even call it a significant problem.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for being poorly optimized, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
“The game is poorly optimized!”
“I experienced significant frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“The loading times are excessively long, making it frustrating to get into the action.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of stability, with users reporting numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“An absolutely boring and bug-ridden game.”
