Village in the Shade is a new game from Nippon Ichi Software and NIS America, in a genre that they aren’t known for. On one hand, the title is a life sim with farming and other idyllic activities at its core. On the other hand, it promises a town with an eerie underside and secrets hidden behind rules that are treated as taboo by the locals.
Originally released in Japan in July as Honogurashi no Niwa, Village in the Shade is the latest project from the Yomawari team with game design by Yu Mizokami, who had also been involved in NIS's rhythm platformer Mad Rat Dead. This new title has been a particularly big hit for the Japanese company, having surpassed 150,000 sales domestically by August 10.
The concept of the game is one that mixes the traditional farming sim format with horror-esque elements tied to breaking the rules of town. As a newcomer to a Japanese mountain village called Kagatsu, it’s your job to take care of a farm, befriend the locals and avoid specific rules that can get you punished.
While a major part of the game is looking into what’s happening behind it all, there’s also an alternate mode called Village in the Sunshine. This lets players just enjoy the simple life in the rural town without having to worry about the rules and this other side that the place hides. For people who aren’t fans of scary elements in their games, this lets them enjoy it without any issues.
As a preview of the game, Hardcore Gamer was given a glimpse of what the title has to offer in its day and night cycle. One of the rules in town is not going out after 11PM, which is a time that significantly changes the look of the place. Not only is it all dark, but ghosts roam the streets and may try to catch the player.
Breaking the rules brings risks, but it also lets players find unique items that can be helpful to expand their repertoire of techniques and recipes. In fact, trying to deal with the consequences of disrespecting the rules is meant to let the player learn much more about the area they now live in, progressing the story.
Part of the presentation revolved around receiving an egg and a message to break the rule and meet someone at midnight. After doing the whole routine for the day, the player character woke up in the middle of the night and going outside led them to see what looked like a chicken spirit.
Following it to the town lets the player get a flashlight, which makes the ghosts visible. In particular, it was a helpful asset for the following sequence, in which they had to run to avoid what looked like a giant, floating elderly man. This flashlight item should be a tool that has the specific goal of helping players navigate during the night, making it easier to freely explore this forbidden time of the day.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://hardcoregamer.com/preview-village-in-the-shade/
