Whispering Willows

In Brief

A hand drawn side scrolling adventure game.

for those who don't want the bother of entering, but the game appeals, you can buy Whispering Willows from GreenManGaming HERE with an 80% discount today only
for only £1.57/$1.99

If you win a Steam key please consider giving some feedback about your opinion of the game once you've had chance to play it as it would be really appreciated; for example, what did you like and/or dislike about the game, give some suggestions on how you think the game could be improved from your point of view. If you don't like this genre at all, please explain why. What improvements to the game would change your opinion of this game?

There are thousands of subscribers to the game giveaway of the day every weekend which makes this an ideal forum for giving developers ideas as to what their consumers (i.e you) would like to see in a game. For example, you could suggest extra content such as better or more original mini games, or a level editor that you would like to see that would make it more appealing to you. Maybe you think the graphics are a little dated and are in need of re-skinning or textures need higher definition, or maybe you've just had enough of the genre and want to see something different or something with more originality? What developers don't want to see and is likely to put them off giving any more games away, or for that matter other prospective developers contributing is whinging about anything other than the game. They want to see positive or negative comments related to the game itself and suggestions on how the game could be improved. Posting single word comments, gibberish or comments with just a few non descriptive or inappropriate swear words are not acceptable and will most likely be edited or deleted.

If you miss today's game giveaway you can always get the game via Steam 24/7 HERE for $9.99/£6.99.

Young Elena Elkhorn embarks on a harrowing journey to find her missing father and discover the secrets of the Willows Mansion. Aiding her journey is a unique amulet, she received from her father, which allows her to astral project her spirit into a ghostly-realm and communicate with the dead. Play as Elena to find her missing father, use your astral projection to solves the mansion’s tricks and puzzles, help the lingering souls and discover so much more in Whispering Willows.

Reference accessed HERE. 17th Sept 2016

Once you've found your Steam key (sent to your email) you have to activate the game via your Steam client. Once activated it will be permanently tied to your Steam profile and you'll be able to install the game at any time anywhere on any computer so long as you can validate who you are (usually via emails etc). if you don't have a Steam account you will first have to download and install the Steam client via the following link:

HERE

Then create a Steam profile. Once that has been completed you can input the Steam code that you've received (after completing the form filling) via the game button along the top of the Steam client, (located between friends and Help - see image below). From the drop down menu select Activate a product on Steam. This opens a product activation window. Just follow the prompts to complete activation. Once the steam code has been accepted the game will be permanently associated with your steam account.

If you have a problem installing or activating or getting Whispering Willows to work please visit the problems section, which I've now incorporated into the FAQ's thread, and which you can find HERE

I've posted two different reviews from Gamespot and Gamerant to give a more balanced idea about this game.

Whispering Willows is a supernatural puzzle-adventure game that sucks players in with its beautiful hand-drawn style and mystery, but doesn’t bring anything too new to the genre. The supernatural adventure story definitely lives in the realm of horror, but don’t expect many jump scares. The game is all about mood and doesn’t waste any time on jump scares or frightening effects. Players take on the role of a young girl searching for her missing father in Whispering Willows. As players wander the grounds of a haunted manor, they are armed with only their intelligence and the girl’s magic amulet that allows her to project her spirit into the astral realm.

The gameplay of Whispering Willows is very simple. Players walk around the haunted grounds searching for clues about the location of Elena’s father. When Elena comes up against a door that can’t be opened, it is up to the player to use her special ability to find a way through. This usually involves becoming a spirit and talking to a ghost to get a hint about how to get through whatever the barrier might be. The puzzles are fairly simple for the most part; a ghost will mention something is buried, so the player needs to go find a shovel (spoilers: it’s probably in a toolshed) and return to dig something up.

The straightforward puzzles are entertaining enough, though there's nothing new or original included. Players are faced with either a literal or figurative door and then must go find a literal or figurative key over and over again. The game’s puzzles are entertaining, but don’t offer the same kind of innovation offered by a platformer like Ori and the Blind Forest. If fetch quests don’t sound like a good time, then this might not be the game for you.

Although the mechanics don’t evolve much throughout the game, there is still plenty to keep players engaged. The game’s greatest strength is definitely its art style. The hand-drawn style gives an additional personal touch to the game’s narrative and does a fantastic job creating a spooky feel, for more moody scenes, or a cute aesthetic during happy moments. The one downside to the game’s style is the transition to the cut-scenes. The same aesthetic is used for the narrative cut-scenes, but they end up looking more like awkward motion comics than a professional cut-scene. The weirdness of these moments kills some of the immersion in the world and removes gamers from the otherwise natural experience of collecting information by reading diaries or engaging in conversations with ghosts.

The sound design in Whispering Willows is top notch, which is a must for any horror game. Much like the action in the game, the sound is also effective mostly because of its subtlety. The creaks in the floor, gusts of wind, and rustling leaves are enough to convey the creepiness of the haunted manor without beating players over the head with spooky music and ghost noises. There is a score to the game, but it does stand in way, or in place of, natural effects.

Because there is so little action in the game, and only a few scary ghosts to avoid, the plot really needs to stand on its own. Most of the game is spent reading about the history of the haunted manor and the people who lived on the grounds before it was built. So if a land conservation and human rights story isn’t your cup of tea, then Whispering Willows may not be the best way to kill a few hours. The story is actually very interesting and emotional, despite being a bit familiar to anyone who isn’t brand new to the genre.

Reference accessed HERE. 17th Sept 2016

Whispering Willows is an adventure in archaeology with a supernatural perk: it lets you speak to the dead people who once owned the artifacts you discover. It twists the haunted house investigation premise by giving its heroine ghost transformational powers. This adequately serves both the narrative and the gameplay, the latter comprising some of the most simplistic and easy exploration puzzles in recent memory. This is a minimal detriment to the game overall, which is well-supported with touching themes of regret, lost love, and one's spiritual connection to nature.

Protagonist Elena Elkhorn isn't above admiring the opulence of the Willows Estate, the game's setting. She is not a classic heroine, pre-destined for great things or exuding a profound sense of self. She simply wants to find her missing father, who is employed as a caretaker on the estate. Clearly an adolescent with a good heart, Elena's amiable interactions with many of the local spirits please her immensely, especially since they're helpful companions on this dark and grim journey. Like some of the ghosts in The Sixth Sense, Elena's spectral aides are in desperate need of closure. And yes, some of them don't know that they're dead. Every soul Elena successfully assists gives her immense solace. Yet as each ghost departs its state of purgatory, she suffers the loss of each brief friendship. As a teenager with metaphysical powers and few friends, Elena is relatable to Maxine Caulfield from Life is Strange.

Elena alters herself into an apparition with the aid of a spiritually loaded tear-shaped amulet. The practicality of this transformation is akin to Dracula turning into a rat who can travel through ventilation ducts in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. A vent in Whispering Willows almost always leads to a key item or a switch that only the ghostly version of Elena can access. As she is a protagonist of Native American descent, this ability adds mild depth to the narrative and gameplay. It's her means of speaking to the estate's ghosts who remain in limbo and an opportunity for her to learn about the nation who first settled on the land, the Kwantako tribe.

Whispering Willows' adherence to the basic adventure game blueprint is so faithful that it lacks any sense of ingenuity. Tasks almost always involve finding a proverbial or literal key to open a proverbial or literal door. In Whispering Willows, it's a knife to cut vines or a love letter to appease a ghost. The estate boasts a greenhouse, an observatory, a garden maze, and a mansion, but many of these locales are initially inaccessible. There are almost always multiple paths to choose from, but figuring out the mainline route takes little to no time. Anyone who's explored a dungeon understands the deduction game of first picking the path that will lead to a dead end. In classic mansion game design, bathrooms are almost always dead ends and corridors with stairs and ladders are often the mainline path. Puzzles are seldom cryptic and clues to solve those riddles are often just a few paces away. There's never any ambiguity and you're never in a situation where you have to think obtusely like in so many similar adventure games. Whispering Willows serves as a reminder that not all adventures need to tease the brain.

This makes for a predictable and predominantly linear play through, but it's seldom boring in Whispering Willows. Between the artifacts and notes that litter the estate, Elena learns about the land of her Native American ancestors and the settlers from the east who spilled blood in order to take over the territory. These documents are filled with pangs of regret from the carelessness of ambition, the trauma from killing under orders, and the varied emotions of maintaining a secret affair. These notes are no different from the optional collectibles found in other games, but given the limited exposition in Whispering Willows, they become all the more poignant. It's also probably that you will find all the notes on your first playthrough, making a return adventure all the less likely.

Whispering Willows makes a positive case for the sparseness of scares. There are very few hostiles in and around the mansion, which heightens the impact of their sudden appearances. The mere sight of a demon head relief sculpture can raise the suspicion that a real demon is nearby. It's a nod to The Exorcist in the same way that a scene in a well echoes The Ring. Terrors can come from the ceiling or the walls; they're not approaching you continuously like Medusa heads from Castlevania. These few scares effectively break up the sense of routine as you item hunt and explore the Willows estate. Last, there's a handful of disturbing images that can only be seen when Elena turns into a ghost. One haunting example is a portrait where the unsuspecting subject is surrounded by demonic hands. It stands out because none of the other paintings in the estate changes when switching to the spectral plane.

Like some of the ghosts in The Sixth Sense, Elena's spectral aides are in desperate need of closure.

It is a minor miracle that Whispering Willows can induce the occasional bout of goosebumps. The crudely drawn cutscenes that frame the story leave a disconcerting first impression. At least this low-budget introduction is brief, transitioning to gameplay where the hand-drawn animation of Elena is well-conceived. The background art is even more effective, capturing the weathered nature of the wallpaper and antique furniture, which are accentuated by the dim lighting. This makes for a persistently spooky play through.

Whispering Willows' reliance on the classic "Don't go in the barn" horror trope--the same premise of Alien: Isolation--speaks to the game's pervasive simplicity. For a game with few challenges, appreciating Whispering Willows means embracing the role of a tourist exploring this storied manor. While there are shades of Gone Home, the items in Whispering Willows aren't as loaded with meaning. Objects primarily serve as keys, figurative or otherwise, to the game's many barriers. Its history is more literal, found in the revealing notes left by the ghosts and Elena's own heartfelt diary. If you were to treat this as part of a weekend meal of horror games in old houses, Whispering Willows would be the amuse-bouche, White Night would be the appetizer, and Fatal Frame the entrée. That would make Luigi's Mansion the dessert.

Reference accessed HERE. 17th Sept 2016

You can see Steam community members reviews of the game, which are very positive HERE. There are no comments about the game in the Steam forums.

There are also some videos game play HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Originally played this through some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The hand drawn.painted graphic is lovely and adds to the overall feel of the game. It's not very challenging so is ideal for most of the family. Highly recommended.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Night Light Interactive for giving away 100 keys and as always to the game giveaway team, for providing the opportunity to get some Steam games that can be installed at any time instead of the 24 hour limit.

The problems section that used to be posted here in the Game review is now included in the Game Discussion FAQ's thread; which you can find HERE.

I've updated the games section that used to be posted with the review. The thread is now called 'Weekly round up of Game Deals', formerly the games section of the weekly reviews. You can find the new thread (which I've posted in the sticky section of the game discussion forums to make it easier to find if you are perusing the game discussion forums) HERE.

If today's games were not to your liking, you may find other games either free or for less than the price of a cup of coffee (from your favorite coffee house) via the 'Weekly Roundup of Game Deals' thread which I've posted a link to above, or HERE.

The latest free game over on Origin is still Nox. You can get it HERE. Also for a very short time Origin are giving away the premium FPS game Battlefield 4 and all of the add-on packs for free. This game is a premium FPS game released almost two years ago. If you like FPS games I highly recommend getting this game. You'll find it HERE. Please note that you do require the Origin game platform to be able to download and install the game. Also, the PC version of ALERT: SECTOR 8 (a traditional Shoot Em Up)is also still available over on Failmids Shareware-on-Sale site HERE, also available via Failmid's site are the arcade game Lexica (ends Monday 19th Sept) and the open world racing game The Crew (ends Monday 3rd Oct). You will need the uPlay client for The Crew. To get the game you have to log into your uPlay account, then click on the banner that says Ubisoft turns 30. This should open a new page where you can get The Crew added to your account. The Crew is also a premium AAA game and well worth getting, especially if you like open world racing games. To get The Crew the shareware link I've provided above isn't actually necessary. You just have to sign into your uPlay account and look for the Ubisoft turning 30 link, or if you don't have a uPlay account create an account HERE. Click on the green Join the Club button, get your free account, then get your free copy of The Crew.

If you spend over a dollar in the Indie Gala store (they have some excellent bundle deals, but these are excluded from the offer) you will also get a free copy of the excellent trials bike racer Nail'd