Gamertell

Title: The Path
Price: $9.99
System(s): Windows PC
Release Date: March 18, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Tale of Tales (Tale of Tales)
ESRB Rating: N/A
Pros: Beautiful surroundings, unique characters, simple controls, wonderfully haunting atmosphere and an interesting shift to first person mode in Grandmother’s House. Plus a nice assortment of objects adds in replay value.
Cons: Sometimes the girls won’t immediately react to characters or objects. Impatient players may get bored or frustrated.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 95/100, A, * * * * 1/2 out of 5

Everyone is familiar with the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. Perhaps that’s what helps make The Path seem so alluring. Tale of Tales is presenting players with something that should be familiar. Only it isn’t. The tale is going back to its more primal roots, and players will be tasked with guiding six girls to Grandmother’s House.

The Path could be short, if you follow the “rules.” Go to Grandmother’s House. Stay on the path. But if you want the full experience, one which casts a dark shadow on the lives of the six red sisters involved, you have to break the rules. And really, it’s much more satisfying if you do.

Over the river and through the woods…

The basic story is all too familiar. A family with six daughters (Scarlet, Carmen, Ruby, Ginger, Rose and Robin) live in an apartment in the city. The mother learns their grandmother, who lives in the woods, is sick. She then dispatches her daughters on goodwill missions, to visit Grandmother’s House.

It deviates from the norm by focusing in on each individual girl. Her experiences in the forest, her thoughts on certain areas, the memories that are stirred up by objects and her view of Grandmother’s House. You can only win by sending girls off the path to willingly interact with the Wolves, but remember - sometimes winning means losing.

The Path launch trailer from Tale of Tales.

Who’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?

The Path isn’t a game for impatient players, or people who demand constant action. It’s a leisurely sort of game where you are encouraged to take your time and try to see as much of the forest and it’s attractions as possible before finally making your way to Grandmother’s House or the Wolf. Be prepared to play several times to find all of the character specific items and unlock all the rooms in Grandmother’s House.

There’s also an extraordinary amount of detail in the game. When roaming the forest, you’ll see little creatures skitter along the ground, black birds fly through the air and dandelion tufts float by. As you progress through different areas, things shift from bright and colorful to a dull monotone. When you encounter a location, it could be alive and vibrant or dark and inky with odd highlights, depending on whether or not it is a Wolf’s lair.

This can be best seen in the characters themselves. Each one moves, looks and behaves differently, so it doesn’t seem like you’re playing with the same character each time. For example, Carmen sort of saunters, and moves with an exaggerated, dramatic flair. Robin skips, and seems easily distracted if you stop controlling her. Ruby, who has a brace on one knee, always moves in a way that favors that leg, no matter what she’s doing. Even if you didn’t receive occasional thoughts from the characters on their environment, you can still ascertain their personalities through their body language and behavior.

There’s also an interesting shift of perspective in the game. While exploring the woods, players are behind and above the girls, somewhat detached from the situation. When you reach Grandmother’s House, the climax of the game, you see everything through the characters’ eyes. It’s an interesting (and successful) way to build suspense.

Patience is definitely a virtue in The Path players. The girls won’t always immediately start an action, or begin interacting with a Wolf. Sometimes, it can be tricky to trigger interactions between the character and a Wolf or an item. I only ran across this problem twice while playing with all the available characters, so it isn’t a daunting or recurring problem you have to worry about.

...to Grandmother’s House we go.

It is almost easier to think of The Path as an experience, rather than a game. An unsettling, otherworldly adventure, which players scour for hidden meanings and analyze outcomes.

If you decide to accept and undertake this journey, I recommend having an open imagination, patience and at least an hour to devote to your first play session. It may help you appreciate the environments and characters in front of you.

Read [Gamertell] Site [The Path]

Check out the gallery: Tale of Tales' The Path