Night Book

Release Date: July 27, 2021

Adventure, thriller, indie games, full motion video, singleplayer

5.7

OpenCritic

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An occult thriller adventure game made with the use of FMV technique. The main heroine of Night Book is Loralyn, who accidentally summons a demon to her house. How her fate will turn out depends on decisions we make.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Night Book is an adventure game set in occult thriller convention and using FMV technology. Game is a result of cooperation between Good Gate Media studio and Wales Interactive company, which has in its portfolio such titles as The Complex, Five Dates or Maid of Sker.

Plot

The protagonist of Night Book is Loralyn. In the absence of her husband, who is far from home, a pregnant woman takes care of her mentally ill father and also works remotely as a translator. One night, unaware of the consequences of her actions, she reads an ancient book and summons a demon to her home. From now on her life turns into a real nightmare, and how her fate will turn out depends on the decisions we make.

Mechanics

In terms of mechanics Night Book doesn't differ too much from what we're used to from other productions made with FMV technology. During the game, we follow the conversations carried out by the heroine with the use of webcam, gradually getting to know both Loralyn herself and the relationships connecting her with particular people. As befits a thriller, as the game progresses we witness more and more terrifying events involving the protagonist. From time to time we have to make choices that affect the further course of the story and determine the protagonist's fate, which leads to one of several endings.

Technical aspects

Apart from the interface, Night Book has no visuals; the game consists only of scenes with the participation of real actors. Leading the cast are Julie Dray (Avenue 5) and Colin Salmon (Resident Evil, Mortal Engines). It is worth noting that the entire project was shot remotely, during a lockdown.

Videos and Screens

[1:52] Night Book trailer #1

5.7

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 12% of Critics. There are 18 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

GameSpew: 7 / 10 by Kim Snaith

If you’ve enjoyed Wales Interactive’s FMVs in the past, then I’m fairly confident in saying you’ll find a lot to like in Night Book. Despite being created in challenging conditions, it comes together with top-notch production values, excellent acting and great storytelling. It may never be truly edge-of-your-seat stuff, but it’s gripping enough that you’ll likely want to hunt down multiple endings.

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PlayStation Universe: 5 / 10 by Martyn Locker

The FMV acting is great, as are the production values but ultimately the story just doesn't hold up. There's simply too much repetition required to uncover everything Night Book has to offer.

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WayTooManyGames: 6 / 10 by Leonardo Faria

I have nothing against its acting or the fact there isn’t a lot of interactivity in here, but I was beyond annoyed with its clichéd Blumhouse-esque premise and its tiresome visuals. It’s not a very interesting story and I failed to connect with or care about any of its characters.

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