Red Bow

 Switch
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. FNintendo
    Mar 31, 2020
    70
    Red Bow's 16-bit era visual environment may easily have it mistaken for an RPG, with a few point and click adventure elements here and there but there should be no mistake that this is a horror game, and it's a good evidence that a good horror game does not require a realistic looking environment to instill restlessness on its players. Although very short, Red Bow's simple gameplay and visual environment, as well as replay value, make this a production that's well worthy of attention.
  2. Pure Nintendo
    Jan 28, 2020
    70
    Red Bow features an engaging story set in a creepy 16-bit world. The puzzles are fun without being frustrating. You’ll want to see it all; unfortunately it’s over rather quickly.
  3. New Game Network
    Feb 3, 2020
    65
    Despite its accessibility, Red Bow is not going to be for everyone. This isn’t just because of its darker themes, but its rigid, basic structure that shifts between item gathering and NPC interaction. Even at the $5 asking price, it’s tough to recommend to anyone but those who really fancy horror adventures with ample reading.
  5. Switch Player
    Jan 27, 2020
    50
    Red Bow will lure gamers in with its pixel-art visuals and promise of a top-down, creepy adventure. Whilst it may impress for a short while, it will ultimately leave them wishing the game had been much more than it is.
  6. Digitally Downloaded
    Jan 22, 2020
    50
    It's a super-short indie project, so it almost feels unfair to throw a score onto Red Bow. It's just not a game to put on the same kind of scale as major blockbusters from Nintendo. But, then again, the game is a commercial project and sits on the same virtual store shelf as Nintendo's games. The reality is that Red Bow struggles to understand how horror game stories are told, and adventure games are designed. There are some ideas buried in there, and when the developer is more experienced it would be great to see him revisit this but Red Bow itself its a bit too hollow for its own good.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
3.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 4 out of 6
  1. TheMegaGodz
    Apr 20, 2020
    8
    An incredibly interesting game. I was wary at first due to the short run time, but it proved to quite an enjoyable experience.
  2. Mikeychump
    May 28, 2021
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. This game was absolutely terrible. I spent a few hours on it and couldn't stand it anymore. It has a nice aesthetic, I like the concept, but there were too many confusing concepts, and too many spelling errors that I couldn't stop noticing. Luckily it wasn't very expensive, but it wasn't an enjoyable game and I wouldn't recommend spending any money on it.… Full Review »
  3. Agano
    Feb 28, 2020
    0
    Bought this game with my Nintendo points and that was still too expensive. Game has terrible game design, terrible sound design, but worst ofBought this game with my Nintendo points and that was still too expensive. Game has terrible game design, terrible sound design, but worst of all it has terrible, awful, ATROCIOUS narrative design. It is a **** narrative game with "point and click elements" (barely) that cannot for its life tell a story. It literally makes me angry.

    It is set up to move you through a few short "horror" (not at all) stories, where someone is always in trouble, and someone is not. Then you go through a series of conversations that make absolutely no sense, in any of the stories. You walk around and click on things in order to find things. in a whole total of 2 (wow!) scenarios it was actual decent point and click game design, in all other it was click on random **** and hope for the best or click on the shiny thing in the middle of the screen. After finding random amount of things you listen to another random rant about some ghoul (or whatever they are supposed to depict) tell you how sad their life is, and that they are bad, but maybe not and also help them, but maybe not. Every story.

    And i am sorry but i have to go deeper into how awful this game is. Spoiler alert (which should matter to absolutely no one, ye gods, just don't buy this game).

    My favorite part is when you in front of Boyfriend show a torturer a picture from her first date with said boyfriend. Her boyfriend that she currently has nailed up alive on the wall in the sewers. Picture makes her teary eyed in nostalgia which O b v i o u s l y immediately makes the tortured boyfriend - who I might add, up until this very point continuously said "WE MUST KILL HER. LURE HER DOWN AND LETS LIGHT HER ON FIRE" suddenly turn a 180 and go "i forgive you, i waited a long time to say that"...

    Wow, did you now? THEN WHY DID I PICK UP THIS OIL FOR YOU, HUH?
    ye gods, seriously. And this is not the worst example of storytelling in this game.

    Another great one is when you walk up some stairs to talk to a dead-ish lady. "I think everyone deserves a second chance" says my character. Dead lady shows her dead baby still hanging out of her from its umbilical chord. "WE WERE IN A CAR ACCIDENT, DO YOU ALSO THINK MY BABY DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE?!" says the dead lady. "Uhm, yes", says my character. "NO YOU DON'T" says the dead lady.

    AND SCENE
    .
    .
    yes. It actually ended there, the whole game. I also want to point out that under no point did I have any saying in what my character was going to respond, so i guess it just made sense to the writer. Babies don't deserve a second chance. Especially babies in accidents. Deep **** Sure to make the player think

    I honestly could go on forever, there are more things wrong with this "game" than there are things right. The creator needs to take one class in how to narrative and one in how to design.    … Full Review »
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