Rob reviews White Shadows on Xbox Series X...
White Shadows is a game that's not to be taken lightly. From its opening, you're told what to expect and what themes drive its narrative. The world of White Shadows is far from idyllic, and if anything is a worrying look into what can be considered as societies own troubles.
Welcome to The White City, a monochrome world where society is seen as equal. This is far from the truth as this dystopian world is split across three castes - Wolves, Pigs, and Birds. The Wolves run the show and are seen as the social elite. The Pigs are the everyday workers. They're the "consumers" who believe everything the Wolves say without exception. Then there are the Birds. The birds are ostracised from this society due to the general beliefs (set by the Wolves) that they have brought about "the darkness" which is plaguing the world. Often referred to as "plague birds" members of this caste are killed without mercy, or used as sick entertainment for both the Pigs and Wolves.
White Shadows throws you into this world as you take on the role of Ravengirl, a young raven chic who's about to leave her "haven" to find out why the city is the way it is. Through the 5 chapters on offer, there's plenty of twists and turns as Ravengirl delves into the White City, and nothing is as it seems.
The gameplay of White Shadows takes place via a 2D plane, that's shrouded within a vast 3D world. What this means is that while the visually stunning backgrounds appear in 3D, you'll be traversing from left to right. As you traverse the city you'll be solving various simple puzzles that are made up of the genres greatest hits. Everything from pushing blocks, activating pressure pads, and hiding from spotlights are all here. These puzzles aren't particularly too in-depth. Each chapter also introduces a new factor to the world. One chapter sees you avoiding gunfire, whilst the next has you scurrying for cover on top of a high-speed train. However, there are not many frustrating moments and it's almost as if you're guided along an invisible path. The game does take roughly 2-3 hours to finish, but there's a great mix of puzzles and platforming crammed into the short run time.
From a visual aspect, White Shadows is gorgeous, and it certainly utilises its background images well. Everything is bathed in darkness with a cool white thrown in to illuminate parts of interest. While this monochrome style isn't new, what sets it apart is how striking it all is. The use of black & white imagery works well in highlighting Ravengirl's plight, as well as the darkness that she finds herself a part of, and it's this that makes the bright white's that more oppressive. Playing through the title, it's hard to not think of "Inside", "Limbo" and "Bioshock" as it's the things you see off of the path that pushes the narrative to you.
Developer, Monokel have put a lot of work into crafting this world where you truly are at the bottom of it. There are plenty of contexts shown throughout that makes no illusions as to what's going on. You're instantly drawn into Ravengirl's life, and it's a journey that pulls you into hoping - and wanting - for a somewhat happy ending. Of course, it's also hard not to focus on the brutality of this world, but there's a certain beauty to be found within it too.
Sounds also play a big part in White Shadows storytelling. Again, it's hard not to think of Bioshock as whirring propaganda screens warn of "the plague birds" and "not to stray from the light". This is all intersected by brief musical interludes from classic hits such as Blue Danube and Ride of the Valkyries. Aside from these brief outbursts, the game is fairly quiet. Normally this would seem like a bit of an odd choice. But here, the silence works well in portraying the atmosphere of this dystopian world.
In terms of performance, White Shadows is a pretty stable game on the Xbox Series X. There is the odd FPS hit here and there, but it's only noticeable if the scene is cluttered. Characters can also behave in odd otherworldly fashions, with the occasional animation that doesn't quite add up. Again, these are few and far between and in some instances, it feels as if it's almost part of the game's design. While this does somewhat take away the shine from White Shadows, it doesn't detract from its enjoyment factor.
When it's said and done, White Shadows is a competent debut title. While it's a fairly short title, there's a lot of puzzle-platforming for you to experience. If you're a fan of allegorical works such as "Animal Farm and "1984" then-White Shadows will thoroughly entertain. There's a lot of dark themes present and it's certainly a game that needs to be experienced.
Rating 8/10
White Shadows is available now and can be purchased via the Microsoft Store by clicking here.
A code was kindly provided for this review
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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev
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