Yomawari: Lost in the Dark
- October 25, 2022
- Nippon Ichi Software
Get on SteamIn "Yomawari: Lost in the Dark," players navigate a dark, eerie world as a young girl searching for her lost sister. The game features a unique mechanic where the player must use a flashlight to reveal hidden ghostly enemies and progress through the game. As the player delves deeper into the darkness, they must avoid these supernatural foes and solve puzzles to uncover the truth about their sister's disappearance.
Reviews
- The game maintains the charming 'spooky but not scary' atmosphere of its predecessors, with a mix of new and recycled spirits that add to the experience.
- The story is engaging and explores deep themes of trauma and memory, providing emotional depth that resonates with players.
- The sound design and art style are exceptional, creating an immersive environment that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- Save points are frustratingly far apart, leading to a tedious experience when players die or need to backtrack.
- The gameplay feels less strategic compared to previous entries, with a reliance on running and closing your eyes rather than utilizing more complex mechanics.
- The story can be confusing at times, with repetitive exposition and a lack of clear direction, making it difficult for players to know how to progress.
- story66 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in this game is more linear and focused compared to previous installments, with a deeper emotional impact that resonates with players, despite some repetitive exposition. While it features engaging character interactions and a solid plot, some players found the gameplay frustrating and the pacing uneven, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. Overall, the narrative is appreciated for its thematic depth and emotional weight, though it may not reach the heights of earlier entries in the series.
“It's certainly more driven and focused, with everything you do being guided by that main story and what you 'need' to do next, but the story ended up hitting me in ways I wasn't expecting!”
“The strategic use of storytelling to play around this theme was excellently executed and I loved the twists that I encountered along the way.”
“Overall, I love this series and its style of storytelling.”
“It's the story that makes it so I can't recommend it positively.”
“It's not that it's told poorly, but that it's the sort of story I can't deal with having to play through a game for ~20 hours to see.”
“I find the story always confusing to me and at some point, you might end up stuck in that loop where your curse has been growing.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this installment of the Yomawari series has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the new mechanics like "closing your eyes" and the more open design, while others feel it lacks the fun and engagement of previous entries. Critics note that the removal of beloved features, such as the badge system and hiding spots, along with repetitive enemy encounters, detracts from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, many still find the exploration and story elements engaging, leading to a varied reception among fans.
“For returning fans, I broadly enjoyed 3 more than 2. 2 had a tighter, darker story (arguably too dark) and more collectibles and post-game stuff, but for me, 3 has a more interesting story, more interesting mechanics (big ups to closing your eyes and sneaking rather than hiding in bushes), and is the only one of the franchise I even got close to 100% completion on.”
“It takes the Yomawari formula and improves on it, with a much more open design compared to its predecessors and some unique gameplay ideas.”
“Gameplay is exploration through various locations to progress a story while surviving ghosts and collecting items.”
“The game has more content than the previous entry (at least in terms of hours needed to get through the story), but the gameplay it offers is much worse.”
“While they added the whole 'close your eyes' mechanic as a new interaction with the various spirits, they also removed the badge system of 'midnight shadows', which I had enjoyed quite a bit.”
“The specific chapter areas tend to have more new stuff, but a lot of the mechanics and challenges end up feeling kind of tedious.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its "spooky but not scary" vibe, effectively blending creepy elements with a cute art style and strong sound design. While some reviewers note a decline in scares and story depth compared to previous titles, the overall atmospheric quality remains a highlight, drawing on Japanese folklore to enhance the experience.
“It still maintains that lovely 'spooky but not scary' atmosphere that the previous two hold so well, and it's been a while since I've played, so I don't recall exactly how many of the spirits are recycled, but there's plenty of fun new ones here.”
“Those things covered, the game still does well in building atmosphere, and has excellent sound design and maintains the same creepy-cute art style from previous games.”
“Just like the previous titles, however, the game is awesome at atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere, scares, and story are all a step down.”
“The game lacks the immersive atmosphere that I was hoping for.”
“I found the overall ambiance to be dull and uninspired.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's music features a notable title theme that resonates emotionally, while ambient sounds create an eerie atmosphere with minimalistic musical elements. Although the soundtrack is limited, players appreciate the effective sound design and the standout quality of the opening and ending themes, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“This game features two original soundtracks and is the first in the series to have title music.”
“The game's music theme, both opening and ending, is always good, and the sound effects effectively capture the environment.”
“The music is still outstanding, adding to the overall charm and experience of the game.”
“The game lacks a soundtrack, but the title theme strikes my heartstrings.”
“Ambient sounds dominate and music is kept to a minimum - effective for creating an eerie mood.”
“The game's music theme, both opening and ending, is always good, but I often hear a car moving around in the town despite there being no moving car in this game.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with repetitive mechanics and challenges that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the direction provided compared to previous entries, the constant repetition across chapters leads to frustration, especially with minor quality-of-life issues. Despite these drawbacks, fans of the series may still find value in the game, provided they are willing to endure the grinding.
“It feels tedious to play.”
“The specific chapter areas tend to have more new stuff, but a lot of the mechanics and challenges end up feeling kind of tedious.”
“Each path feels the exact same every time, making it more tedious to traverse the large map.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a charming creepy-cute art style that effectively blends horror elements with Japanese urban legends, creating a unique atmosphere. The cartoon-like anime visuals are enhanced with greater detail, particularly in the shopping district, which features more objects and alleyways, contributing to the overall immersive experience.
“Although the art style is cute, the contrasting horror elements featured to give life to Japanese urban legends and superstitions showcase its unique charm.”
“The map art style in this game is still a cartoon-like anime with much larger and more detailed environments, especially in the shopping district which now has alleys and a lot of objects.”
“Those things covered, the game still does well in building atmosphere, and has excellent sound design while maintaining the same creepy-cute art style from previous games.”
“The map art style in this game is still a cartoon-like anime, but it lacks the detail and polish expected from modern games.”
“While the art style is cute, it feels inconsistent and doesn't fully capture the horror elements it aims to portray.”
“The graphics are underwhelming, with a cartoonish aesthetic that detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally impactful, appreciating its ability to gradually reveal the plot and evoke a range of feelings, from tears to terror. The emotional journey culminates in a powerful experience that resonates deeply, earning high praise from users.
“But still, the game's main theme does not change, which is what I like about this series. You slowly unravel the whole plot of the story, and it makes you feel emotional in the end.”
“10/10, I cried and also screamed in terror.”
“It's an emotional investment, of all emotions.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its clever references and wordplay, particularly with character names that resonate with players' personal experiences, adding a layer of relatability and amusement.
“It's hilarious how the older girl has a name similar to one of the central protagonists in the Touhou Galaxy Project that I use at work, and she often says the word 'bird'.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever dialogue and unexpected situations that always catch me off guard.”
“I love the quirky characters and their witty banter; it adds so much charm and laughter to the gameplay experience.”
