Games have covered Western mythology in detail. Japanese mythology? Yeah, that’s covered. But aside from The Witcher and some of the weird games from Ice Pick Lodge, Slavic mythology is pretty fresh ground. And that’s a shame because if you want creepy, atmosphere, and unsettling talking mushrooms, this is the game and the genre for you.
Here’s what I’m thinking: There’s this witch that lives in a creepy hut. Also the hut has chicken legs. She flies around in a mortar and wields a pestle. She may or may not help you out. Or she might curse you. Also someone is stealing kids from your village, it’s probably her, and the villagers think you have something to do with it.
And your sister has gone missing. And you’re pretty sure you’re not involved. Pretty sure. But then you come across said chicken-legged hut and seem to know your way around. And you seem tolerated, if not welcome.
After learning your way around, you run into a group of seemingly friendly talking mushrooms that possibly escaped from one of the creepier Jim Henson projects. We’re not talking about Labyrinth or The Muppet Show, more like The Dark Crystal.
By the way, I did not ingest any hallucinogens while writing this.
The player character is an archer and hunter cast out of said village for said childnapping and she is pretty sure she didn’t do it, but there’s also a voice talking to her and mainly making fun of her that may or may not be benevolent and may or may not be involved with the whole kidnap plot.
The archery is fun and surprisingly challenging. There’s a crafting element, which means that hilarious and very “video games” feeling of running out of ammo and having to run around like a maniac dodging incoming projectiles from little glowing-eyed gremlins while furiously crafting arrows. And as you progress in the crafting, you unlock new physical combat abilities, but also mysterious Hocuses and magic powers.
There’s also a morality system where shooting everything that moves may be Evil…but being Evil comes with cool powers. But being Good also comes with cool powers. And who knows what good or evil actually is, man? Okay, well, making a blood pledge to an evil god at said evil god’s shrine is probably evil, if you want to get all judgey about it.
The combat is interesting but the real draw is exploring a world where evil roots are spreading corruption throughout the land and you are faced with questions like “So if I help this Empress of Ants (who is an ant, by the way) find the human village…could she actually make the rivers flow with blood? But on the other hand, fuck those guys for tossing me out just because some kids went missing and I may or may not be involved. MY LIEGE!” And then you go talk to a grub that seems to be some kind of postman that usually works the Hell route. Nice guy, said I’m going to have a nice spot when I get down there.
The soundtrack reminds of Heilung and the vibe (see, again, hip with the kids!) reminds me of picking something out of the bargain bin at Electronics Boutique in 1998 because hey it’s 10 bucks and maybe it’ll be cool and then what is happening what is this is this even real.
Blacktail is, as the kids say, wild.
