Yomawari: Lost in the Dark – Review
Our Score: 8/10
Yomawari: Lost in the Dark is the third game in the Yomawari isometric survival horror series. An ominous and frightening investigation of a ghostly hamlet begins. Can you live and end the curse before daylight comes? Do you have a flashlight?
Yuzu, a small child who appears in Yomawari: Lost in the Dark, discovers herself in a mysterious woodland. Yuzu discovers that she is cursed and that, in order to break the spell, she must recall the past she has forgotten. As a result, Yuzu is forced to comb the streets of her town at night for hints that would help her reclaim her memories and end her curse. Yuzu must also avoid the aggressive ghosts who stalk her town, or otherwise, her time will run out.
Cursed One
Yuzu, an elementary school student, is the target of severe bullying by her peers. As a result of one particularly heinous prank that her classmates pulled,s he is trapped in a forest and has no way out. The only person who can give her hope is a young girl who insists that Yuzu must keep her word. If not, she won’t be able to reverse the curse and escape death.
Despite this, Yuzu is unable to recall ever speaking to or making a pledge to the woman. Disappointed, the young woman warns Yuzu that if she doesn’t locate her missing memories by 6 AM, the curse will remain in place forever. Yuzu must now look around her small town for anything that could help her remember things. And also keep her alive before she turns into a shade destined to roam the streets at night like many others.
Fighting for Survival
You have virtually little defense against the spirits, being a young girl like Yuzu. You can close your eyes, throw some paper aeroplanes and rocks, and use a flashlight. It isn’t much, but it is all you have. For several reasons, the flashlight will be your most important equipment. First of all, one of Yomawari’s primary gameplay features is the abundance of items that may be acquired. There is a lot, really. Even though many of them are consumables, you will also be gathering a tonne of other things.
These could be anything from helpful comments to essential goods required to interact with anything else. Decorations for your room, items that affect your appearance, or just stuff to add to your “collection of things I’ve found.” Most of the time, you can only notice these objects as a sparkling object. But only if you are using a flashlight. No light? There is nothing.
Blinded Eyes
This Yomawari game’s addition of the ability to close your eyes is an intriguing mechanism. Many various spirit types won’t be able to see you while your eyes are closed since they depend on your acknowledging them in order to find you. You can move slowly while keeping your eyes closed while dodging opponents that appear on a darkened screen as throbbing red heartbeats. But watch out—not all ghosts will care if you’re not staring at them.
You can find consumables like coins, paper airplanes, and pebbles while exploring the town. Paper planes should be thrown farther than pebbles in order to disorient some ghosts. Coins can be hurled, although you’ll probably use them most often to save your game. By giving a coin to one of the many Jizo statues dotted about the city or back at your residence, you can save. After a while, you can also employ the Jizo statues to move quickly through the city.
The Face of Horror
Regarding looks, I must say that Yomawari: Lost in the Dark achieves a fantastic balance between spooky and adorable. The locations can get really creepy. The ghosts and spirits are typically creepy or downright frightening. And more often than not you end up carefully making your way through so as not to disturb the wandering spirits. The converse is true for human figures or characters that resemble humans; they have this adorable Chibi-styled appearance. Yuzu, your main character, can alter her appearance by choosing a different hairstyle, bangs, accessories, and backpack from your closet. It’s incredibly satisfying to see the object you worked so hard to acquire appear in your home or as a stylish new piece of clothing.
The audio also has a strong emotional impact. The combination of the loud heartbeat when a spirit is nearby and the ambient music, which is frequently quite eerie, really helps to raise your tension. Suitable music is also included for memories’ flashbacks.
Final Verdict
Even though Yomawari: Lost in the Dark is far from flawless, it is an enjoyable experience. Even if the terror element becomes less prominent the longer you play, it gave me a few promising starts when I first started. Lost in the Dark isn’t all that long if you only focus on the main plotline, but going back and collecting all the trinkets is what gives the game genuine depth. As you solve little riddles or pranks and encounter new ghosts, you will learn more about the place you’re in and acquire new cosmetic things.
