The horror game genre is in a bit of a slump as of late. Most games that claim to be in it are either action games masquerading as horror, or simply jump scare factories. There are few games these days that try to tell a story and build suspense, most just yell boo and hope for a reaction. White Night understands the value of suspense and storytelling, even if it stumbles a bit in a few other areas.

You play a man who thinks he's struck a woman on the road under the cover of darkness. Your car swerves as you try to avoid her and you injure yourself in the process. Looking for help and possibly answers you seek shelter at the closest house. A garden full of graves and strange markings litter the outside of the home. Things go from bad to worse when you venture through its doors to discover the abode shrouded in darkness. Armed only with your wits and a pack of matches you begin to unravel the mystery that lies therein.

Those who’ve played survival horror games like the original Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark will feel right at home as they skulk around the house, finding clues and unearthing the enigma that surrounds it, all while avoiding the ghosts that will stall your progress at every turn. Gameplay harkens back to the days of old school adventure games like Grim Fandango and the Monkey Island series with its series of simple but fun puzzles, almost all of which employ the use of light to uncover the solution.

It is this contrast between light and darkness that becomes the backdrop for the game. Smaller touches, like the soft film grain on white areas, are what make images pop on the screen and brings the noir motif out fully. Combined with the fixed camera angles made famous in the survival horror games of the 90’s there are multiple moments that will make you feel as though you are in one of the many pulp novels the game draws inspiration from.

For a story in an adventure style game to work, it needs to be fairly straightforward, something White Night does a decent job at. It services the gameplay well and you’re rarely left wondering where to go and what to do next. The intermittent narration that runs through White Night sums up the events well enough, that if you miss any of the scattered documents found lying around such as diaries, letters, and news clippings you never feel out of the loop.

The puzzles are relatively easy, but they never bore you. You’ll figure them out within the first few tries with the exception of one or two that had particularly obtuse solutions. The best puzzles are ones that service or supplement the game’s story while not becoming a roadblock to it. White Night does this in several instances by using the game’s lore to its advantage, so if you’ve been following the story with any passing interest their solutions will foreshadow events that will happen later, adding a nice touch to the experience.

You’ll be going to these puzzles by navigating the mansion’s many blackened rooms. The only method to light your way in many cases, is by using a pack of matches. These only last a short period of time and if you’re left in the darkness too long, you’ll be at the mercy of the ghosts that roam the halls; if you get too close to them, they’ll come for you anyway. The matches themselves are a nice idea, think of them like the ink ribbons in the original Resident Evil, however there are simply too many of them around. It brings the suspense down a tad knowing you can simply go to the kitchen and find dozens of them lying around. I had managed to beat the game with 10 matches remaining (you can carry a maximum of 12) with plenty more within arm’s reach.

In addition to the game’s cutscenes and vivid gameplay, there are a number of various tomes and publications around the mansion that offer more details as to who the characters are and how they fit into the story. While not essential to beating the game, they offer a bit of flavor text that would have been nice; that is if someone bothered to proofread them. The documents’ seemed to receive only the most cursory of revision, before being hastily sent to market. It is my understanding that the developer is based in France, so there may have been a translation issue. Either way, there are multiple grammatical errors, which seems inexcusable for what is such a short affair.

The game clocks in at about 4-6 hours, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Games, especially those in the survival horror genre, tend to overstay their welcome and bring little to the table after they do. It is simply harder to get scared when you’re 10 hours in on a 30 hour story. White Night fits a good amount of content within a little package.

Fixed camera angles may be a deal breaker for some. It can be frustrating at times to run from a ghost in one room and suddenly head back into that room and die because of the next room’s perspective forcing you back, but that is the same for nearly every game that uses this mechanic. It’s an unavoidable problem that seems to plague the survival horror genre the most. I found it to be annoying but it did not completely detract from the experience.

White Night is a game that rises above its faults and provides a short but unnerving survival horror experience. There are some that won’t be able to look past its brief length, fixed camera angles and lack of editing but if you’re able to, you’ll find a delightfully creepy story that has a great deal of suspense and intrigue. Recommended for anyone who is a fan of old school horror games.

-William Sierra

Reviewed: Digital PC copy of White Night provided by Activision.
All screenshots provided by the publisher.