Year Walk

 Wii U
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 4 out of 28

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  1. XV_
    Nov 2, 2019
    6
    It has been 3 days since I finished Year Walk, and although I have mixed feelings with it I can't stop thinking in its themes.

    I first heard about this game back in 2014 and I wanted to play it since, the fact that you walk and find mythical Sweden creatures lured me a lot, also it was introduced with an "encyclopedia" or the sorts for you to find out about the creatures, sounded great.    It has been 3 days since I finished Year Walk, and although I have mixed feelings with it I can't stop thinking in its themes.

    I first heard about this game back in 2014 and I wanted to play it since, the fact that you walk and find mythical Sweden creatures lured me a lot, also it was introduced with an "encyclopedia" or the sorts for you to find out about the creatures, sounded great. Back to 2019, I played it on a Wii U and at times I found it brilliant and clever the same amount of times I found it frustrating and design broken. The atmosphere is amazing and the character and environment design are on top, the problem is the gameplay, of course, is a cryptic game and you have to solve your way through but I find its mechanics way too inconsistent, the first difficult puzzle has 2 different "things" that you need to interact with and click them in sequence, but, clicking them doesn't do anything so you may think that you can't go there just yet and you will wander around to find another thing to do, although you can't because you can only advance through that portion, turns out that you need to press L or R buttons on the Wii U, this was so annoying because in the instruction manual which is mandatory, doesn't have listed this buttons, also you don't use them before or after this puzzle, so it just feels cheap and tedious, it's just bad design, a thing that will appear in the future so keep that in mind. There is a plot within this game but is so superficial that by the time game want you to care it just feels too forced, that beign said...

    As I said, even when the bad thing were pretty annoying and noticeable, I can't stop thinking about some things, which are related to the true ending and breaking the 4th wall if only just a little, there is an auditive puzzle which is pretty great and also the music is amazing, maybe my favorite part of this game by far, it can be comfy, scary, melancholic or even all of them, is that good.

    Even when I had a mostly bad taste with Year Walk, I can't say for sure that is an skipable game, I do think that it's worth to try it by one self and make you own conclusions, I doesn't have that much of replayability but I think I would try it again in a year or so, maybe then it might click on me.    … Expand
  2. ricklongo
    Oct 15, 2015
    8
    My interest in Year Walk should probably be attributed to a browser-based PC game called The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo. That's because after I had a surprisingly good time playing that title (seriously, it's free, so give it a try), I realized that I don't really hate horror titles as I thought before; I just hate jump scares. If a game is creepy in a more psychological manner, slowlyMy interest in Year Walk should probably be attributed to a browser-based PC game called The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo. That's because after I had a surprisingly good time playing that title (seriously, it's free, so give it a try), I realized that I don't really hate horror titles as I thought before; I just hate jump scares. If a game is creepy in a more psychological manner, slowly making its way to giving you goosebumps instead of blatantly screaming at your face while holding a chainsaw, I discovered, I'm more than willing to let it do its thing. Year Walk seemed exactly this kind of game, and I wasn't disappointed.

    As you find out soon after booting the game, year walking is a practice in Swedish folklore in which a hapless chap starves himself then goes walking through creepy, snow-covered Scandinavian woods right before midnight at New Year's Eve. The purpose is making your way to a church in the middle of the forest, where you'll get a glimpse of what the coming year holds for your future. Along the way, chances are you'll come across some nightmare-inducing mystical creatures, having to appease them if you want to successfully complete this disturbing mission.

    The game absolutely achieves the sort of mood it sets out to, with great stylyzed graphics and a wonderfully eerie soundtrack (by the way, wear headphones). The setting is so effective, in fact, that even the beginning of the game, when you set out to meet your forbidden love inside a windmill in broad daylight, is significantly ominous.

    The gameplay is from a first-person perspective, but not in the way you may be accustomed to. The exploration is done in a 2D manner, with several separate sections of the woods to go back and forth through. There is extensive use of the gamepad's gyroscope, but don't worry: even I, who absolutely hate motion controls, was surprised in a good way by how the game plays. There are several puzzles to solve; some are quite easy, a few are a bit obtuse, but others are borderline genius in the way they make use of every single aspect of the Wii U hardware to set up the game's macabre mood. No spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.

    What ties everything together and lies at the heart of the entire experience is the story. It begins as a simple tale of a poor guy who's going to desperate lenghts to try to get the love of a rich girl, but it soon becomes obvious that there is a deeper, more interesting and even creepier tale being told here. There is a secret second ending to pursue after you finish the campaign; one that sheds light on previously unexplained aspects of the plot and concludes everything in a way that's as memorable as it is sinister. Suffice it to say that even writing this gives me the shivers.

    Even if it sadly doesn't last more than two or three hours, Year Walk struck a nerve with me. It's a wonderful horror adventure that manages to be terrifying while mostly avoiding jump scares (yeah, mostly; be advised that there are a couple in there). You'll have to be perseverant and curious to see it through to its conclusion, but once you do, it will be hard to forget.

    Rating: 8.5    … Expand
  3. Ensigned
    Dec 4, 2015
    10
    Oh my! Oh my! Now THIS is a horror genre title with real quality!!!! Oh my I am still just REELING here. Gameplay with the gamepad is STELLAR!!!! Adds so much complexity and immersion to this title. Everyone who likes suspense and mystery titles NEEDS TO PLAY THIS GAME!
  4. headspacej
    Oct 27, 2016
    8
    I had put off trying this one because of the motion controls and the lack of off-tv play, but I'm glad I finally gave it a go. Part of the attraction is that there's not really anything else like it on the Wii U -- maybe a bit like The Fall and shades of The Swapper, but this is really unique. Loved the art style and sound/music, and overall sense of mystery. It's super abstract andI had put off trying this one because of the motion controls and the lack of off-tv play, but I'm glad I finally gave it a go. Part of the attraction is that there's not really anything else like it on the Wii U -- maybe a bit like The Fall and shades of The Swapper, but this is really unique. Loved the art style and sound/music, and overall sense of mystery. It's super abstract and confusing, but not in a frustrating way -- felt more like an interactive art installation than a traditional game.

    I didn't really get the "horror" that others warned about -- bit creepy at times, but not just in an atmospheric, compelling sort of way. I found myself wishing for a bit more guidance a few times, but then wondered if that would have ruined some of the the satisfaction of finding solutions -- the hint system offers a nice balance.

    I did find the motion control frustrating at first, but eventually appreciated how they integrated it like a sort of tool kit -- the section for taking notes was necessary, and the map is central to the experience. I basically only play off-tv, so this was a refreshing application of the dual-screen possibilities of the game pad.    … Expand
  5. darkzaga
    Mar 31, 2017
    9
    el juego esta bueno... pienso que podria haberse explotado mas y sacarle mas el jugo... la historia en si esta muy buena aunque el final me resulto muy flashero... apesar de lo que digo no puedo darle una baja nota ya que como dije, el juego esta bueno.

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Wii U Game of 2015
23
#23 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2015
17
#17 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Nov 30, 2015
    80
    Year Walk delivers an eerie and memorable experience based on Swedish folklore. [Issue #18 – November/December 2015, p.21]
  2. Nintendo Enthusiast
    Nov 17, 2015
    65
    It’s not a bad game by any means, and I think some fans of both dark art and horror will enjoy this game much more than I did, but for me, I have to hark back to that abstract art analogy I used earlier.
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  3. FNintendo
    Nov 1, 2015
    80
    This adaptation of Year Walk to the Wii U is nothing short of excellent, as the control system and the interaction between the player and the game works perfectly. The atmosphere is extremely rich and diverse and the player is properly put into the right context thanks to the additional points provided by the game.
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