Guise of the Wolf

Guise of the Wolf is a first-person, action-adventure game that may also be defined as a horror game, but for all the wrong reasons. Players take on the role of Dominik, a young alchemist called upon by the medieval kingdom of Uhorsko to help with a beastly problem. A werewolf is on the loose terrorizing the lands, killing its people and transforming men into monsters. As soon as the adventure begins, Dominik discovers he has been bitten and quickly realizes his quest is no longer about helping a kingdom in need, but saving himself as well.

One happy looking werewolf.

With Dominik himself now a werewolf, he’s able to transform from man to beast with the light of the moon. Players have the character do so by standing in designated areas marked with a glowing circle. "Use moonlight to transform into a werewolf at any time," say the developers; however, allocating specific areas for transformation hardly gives players the freedom to transform from man to werewolf as they so choose. Yes, the opportunity to transform can be passed over, but often it’s necessary to transform in order to progress through the game. Therefore, little choice is involved.

As exciting as the premise of the game seems and how intriguing werewolves are, Guise of the Wolf quickly squashes any hopes or dreams you may have had of a game about such fascinating creatures. With so much potential, FUN Creators seemed to have let go of the game before it reached its full capacity. Something so small as moving Dominik through the world of Guise of the Wolf quickly becomes an irritant on top of a mess load of glitches.

The goal in Guise of the Wolf is to explore the environment, interact with characters, collect items and solve puzzles; all in the hopes of reversing Dominik's curse. The mechanics of the game are easy enough, yet sadly players will run into issues. Often Dominik will get stuck when trying to walk or run; jumping or crouching only sometimes cures this ailment. And if players happen to move to closely in between an object and a wall, they may have to restart the game.

Unfortunately, moving Dominik to and fro is the smallest of problems on a list of many. Glitches run from see-through objects to patchy character facial structures; from inconsistencies with item selection to a faulty inventory system. Glitches, bugs, defects: all things that should minimally be present if not completely obsolete in a completed game are in your face in Guise of the Wolf. To make matters worse, Guise of the Wolf does not allow for custom settings. The resolution setting is as is and bindings are stuck on default; don't even try using a controller. Saves are automatic with only one available slot, making it difficult for any range of error.

Looking past the negatives surrounding Guise of the Wolf may be challenging, but there is a glimmer of hope. Searching for herbs and flowers throughout the entirety of the plot proves challenging at times, requiring players to keep their eyes constantly peeled for the less visible items. Said items can be mixed together to create potions using recipes provided from notes and books. Though limited, a fun concept. The puzzles included in the game are scarce, nearly effortless, yet amusing all the same: Unlock chests to collect coins, play a game of memory with a set of tarot cards and flip a series of switches to unlock doors. All things that could be expanded on and clearly tweaked.

A fine example of a glitch within the game.

The conclusion of Guise of the Wolf will leave a bad taste in your mouth. On completion of the game, players will suddenly be exposed to a cut scene involving hand drawn artwork that would seem to fit well into the category of concept art. This art work seemingly pops out of nowhere as all other cut scenes throughout the entirety of the game involve animated characters in digital environments. Pretty drawings, but they will make players tilt their heads in confusion, wondering, "what did I just blow my money on?"

Guise of the Wolf is currently on sale for $10.49 through Steam until the end of the month. Check out the official website for more information.

 

Megan Bethke (@XboxBetty), NoobFeed.