ARTY_VN'S PROFILE

author=commodorette
I love the game :D ! Actually right now is almost winter where I live, so it gives the perfect environment while I was playing! So cool <3!

Thank you. I'm surprised to see that some people enjoyed it, and I might start another one soon, maybe a collaboration with a more experienced developer. Stay tooned! :D

author=Suigintoh
Ok, in my opinion, this is a bad game with a huge potential, terribly wasted.

Now let me explain why.

Let's start with the good things. Art in the game is good, models and maps are nicely made as well. The opening screen and the music there are the best things in the entire game, making you go into the right mood instantly. Also the ending is sad and nicely written, with drama going up to eleven, but not irritating or forced at all. It gives you shivers just imagining that main heroine will wander in snow for all eternity, always having the same terrible freezing to death experience over and over.

I also liked that there were no words telling us to pity her friend. Because I cannot pity her whatsoever, as she was the stupid girl who was at fault for her friend's death. She got an appropriate punishment by going a bit mad. I liked that about the finale, and I also liked that the final words concentrated on the main heroine and her experiences in the snow.

It is also nice to have the name of the game explained.

Now about the bad things.

Author's attitude towards the game.

First of all, all this crap about no harsh judgement just because it is a first game the person ever made. It doesn't really matter for me whether the game is first or fifth, what matters is the quality of the game. I feel that if just a bit more thinking and effort was put into the game, it would become really good, but now it is average at best. And by the author's position I got an impression that he doesn't really care about the game anymore, and even more to it, irritated by himself not putting enough effort, by consoling himself saying that it's okay, the game is there anyway, for better or worse.

What made me feel the worst about the author is his position about the mysteries of the game.

"Yeah, no need to think further, it's just that linear plot there, nothing else."

That is exactly how the message on tumblr about not go too far into the plot seemed to me. Disrespectful to those who thought the game was better than it was, and to those who like putting the pieces of the story together little by little, gathering hints scattered through the game. You basically say to them: "No need, there is only this painfully obvious twist and I didn't bother to think about anything else concerning plot".

Puzzles in this game are painfully illogical and irritating, as most of them are based on the right guess (color of the flowers is important, but we got a hint only about the flowers themselves?) and running around until you guess what to do (those bushes in the beginning really irritated me, cause why make the dialogue for snowman but make the needed bushes two steps away from it, not right in front?).

The bad thing about this game is that its minuses outweight pluses, which becomes a terrible trait when we talk about plot-oriented game like that one.

It would have been really good game if just a little more effort was made. Ghost must be explained, group grave and the male ghost need to be explained as well.

You see, that is how a good mysterious book / game / film / etc. is made. That is how the good mystery plot works. All parts of the mystery are supposed to be explained or hinted, even of only briefly, otherwise it is just not worth it to read / play / watch.

P.S. (spoilers about the plot of the Bury!)

This game really reminds me of the one called bury. There is a similar twist at the end, the similar setting, even the similar spot-where-something-happened. But the difference is that most puzzles there can be solved by logic or thinking, and they also add to the story in the way you get to know through the finale. There is also more than one twist, and basically all hints that were scattered here and there helped you to form the plot.

And that is how it is supposed to be, you can't just leave most parts hanging in the air and leave it at that saying it is just puzzles and ghosts, nothing more. It is just crappy planning and poor plot writing, in my opinion.

It's a pity that such a great potential was wasted by the lack of effort.

Ok, so let's answer you too.

I'm sorry if my nonchalant attitude bothers you, but it's like I said - the game is what it is. The ghosts have no backstory, because they were there just as enemies, obstacles if you wish. I didn't put much effort because it was just a learning experience for me, I did it to learn how to script a game, how to open and close doors, to find items, etc. This is why the puzzles are so weak and basically copy-pasted from other games. I didn't put effort into it, because I didn't expect many people to even play it, and I won't go back to fixing the bugs either, because I'd rather focus on future projects and learn from my own mistakes.

Every artist or writer or game developer will have masterpieces, and then they'll have weaker, unfinished projects. The White Path is, unfortunately, a weak and unfinished project, and for me to put in on a pedestal and defended it would be hypocritical, because I am aware of the game's potential and how it ended up. The one character I focused on was Annellie, because she was my main muse, and then a bit on Evelyn, but the rest of the 'characters' are hardly characters. Like I said, they're just there as enemies. Or attempted enemies, at least. And I'm saying this from the most realistic point of view.

As for bad reviews? I'm not saying you shouldn't write bad reviews, but most people don't even make any sense. I got a lot of unnecessary hate, that I didn't learn anything from, which is why I told you people to calm the fuck down. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for the most part, a lot of people took measly details and turned them into huge drama, at the end of the day, for no constructive purposes or any benefit for the game itself.

Alas, thank you for playing and thank you for the comment, but just like you stated your own opinion, I stated mine, so there's no need to bitch about my attitude.

author=Sooz
What sort of story would you expect to see for a sequel of those games? They all seemed extremely self-contained to me.

What's the problem with wishing your favourite game(s) had a second part? I don't expect anything in particular, it would just be nice to see a continuation, even if it's not necessary.

author=ScheLPs

author=Arty_Vn
Thank you for the review! I'll take your observations into consideration for future games (if I will make more) ;)

Well I really hope you do, since for a first game that was pretty good^^

Thank you! I finally found some time to sit down and properly watch playthroughs and it helps a LOT, because I get to see the mistakes I've made and how different people's styles of playing are, so I get to understand how it functions for other people, which is interesting.

Also, I must admit I laugh out loud at people getting scared, and yes, I am evil.

But it's really funny! Your reactions and comments really made me laugh, I love the sarcasm behind some comments. I hope to see reviews from you for future games, whenever I make them! Ah, but - one complaint - I'm hoping you'll film your face as well in the future. Facial expressions are hilarious. xD

SPOILER ALERT!!

Dear Shayoko (Or Frogge?),

Let me explain certain features for you, so it would make more 'sense'.

I don't see the problem with ghosts running extremely fast, as it's not a certain thing that they should run slow.

The flowers do appear in your inventory (they did each time I checked, at least, and if they don't appear anymore, then it's my bad and I apologize for that).

She 'casually' accepts ghosts because she is able to see them since she was smaller. In the first ending, she mentions she saw her dead grandmother walk around the house.

The 'red liquid' spilled everywhere is not blood. It's red ink. In the father's office you find an empty ink bottle where red ink used to be. I thought that would hint enough, but I suppose it can be easily missed, so this is my bad. My apologies.

And no, Annellie does NOT know she's dead. She needs to find the keys because she has no clue she can walk through doors - she believes herself to be alive, which is why she behaves like a living person and feels the need to 'physically' unlock doors. I'm sure you have no proof that dead people know they're dead. Maybe they don't - in this story, they surely don't.

Why is Evelyn searching for Annellie, even though she knows her dead body is in a coffin? In the fourth ending, she states that she kept searching for Annellie, even after they found her. Eve can't accept that Annellie is dead. The shock was so powerful that it altered her logical thinking, so she obsessively searches for Annellie - but a LIVING Annellie, not a dead one. And to add to this - the reason why Evelyn got scared when Annellie approached her is because, at times, her insanity causes her to hallucinate and become paradoxical (?), in which she either wants to FIND Annellie, or run away from her. It's part of her mental illness. (I made a warning at the beginning of the game that there are mentions of mental illnesses). Evelyn is mentally ill, so this should explain her erratic behaviour.

The normal ending vs true ending. If you follow grandma, grandma takes you to the room AFTER Evelyn leaves the room (which explain why Eve isn't there). Grandma doesn't want Annellie and Evelyn to interact, which is why she insisted on Annellie to go with her. If Annellie searches for Evelyn on her own, then yes, they'll stumble upon each other.

And yes. The plot is about two kids being stupid - stupid because they went out on their own in the middle of a forest and one of them died. Other than that, I don't see the stupidity in the story.

The boquet of flowers - no, it wasn't meant for someone who wronged you. It was a collection of flowers Annellie gathered as a kind act for the ghosts and put them on their forgotten grave. Also to lower the barrier of the ghost (girl from the kitchen) who blocked her from going out.

I agree with you about the endings. Perhaps I should've made a 'good' one as well. But the story did end tragically and all the endings do is filter the information. (except the second one, in which Evelyn dies). Other than that, they lead to the same conclusion, because that's how I wanted it to be.


I hope this has helped you understand it better, and thank you for your comment.
Also, I apologize for spoilers.