Beautifully Creepy: A Creepy Tale: Some Other Place Review

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

I've been in love with the Creepy Tale series ever since I reviewed the third game, Ingrid Penance last year. (A review you can find HERE) Since then I've played the first two games, and have been eagerly awaiting more. For those that aren't familiar with it, it's a series that mixes point-and-click adventure gameplay with macabre fairy tale aesthetics. Creepy Tale: Some Other Place (Which I'm going to simply refer to as "Some Other Place" from now on.) is the latest game in the series, and is set to arrive on consoles very soon by way of publisher Sometimes You. We're going to be taking a look at the Nintendo Switch version today, but I'm sure the differences across the various releases will be minimal at best. This is definitely going to be a weird one, so let's dive right in!

Some Other Place opens on a rural family that consists of a mother and her many children. You take on the role of Martin, who chooses to go fishing rather than mushroom hunting with his brothers. His fishing trip is cut short when a strange creature steals his fish bucket, and runs off into a mysterious well. Martin chases him down the well, and he ends up in the titular "Some Other Place". Though never directly named as such, this is most likely the same otherworldly realm where the other Creepy Tale games take place, and it's here where our adventures begin. He comes across other creatures that look like the one who stole his fish, but he can't seem to find his way back home. After avoiding some monsters, and dealing with some NPCs, Martin eventually comes across the creature who stole his fish. It turns out he wasn't just being mischievous, as this creature chose Martin for a specific task. As chance would have it, an evil tribe of monsters, known as the Kvarg, have invaded the region. Not only that, but they are holding a human girl hostage, and are quite definitely intending to eat her. Martin has a new goal in sight, but how is he going to take down literal monsters when he's simply an unarmed child? I'll refrain from giving more details than that, as it's the story that I feel is the strongest aspect of Some Other Place.

Those who are familiar with the series might notice that the plot here is far more coherent than what was found in the previous games. The first three games mainly feel like a collection of chapters loosely stitched together, while this one has a far stronger narrative focus. I applaud the move to a stronger story, though it doesn't exactly leave the overall gameplay untouched. Chapters feel quite a bit shorter now, and take place in smaller spaces. Even though the series' grotesque nonsense is still present, there seem to be far less "out there" moments this time around too. It feels like a new take on the old formula, and that's probably exactly what this game set out to be. Honestly, despite the fact that I was initially let down by it not being Ingrid Penance 2, I fell in love with the game. It somehow treads the fine line of being more of the same for existing fans, while also making the series more accessible to casual players. Casual players who like creepy, gory tales that is, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's move on and discuss gameplay next.

At its core, Some Other Place is an adventure game that plays out in a point-and-click style, but in the third person. You move Martin with the analog stick, and have a few action buttons that change as needed. Martin can talk to characters, look at signs and objects, interact with machines, and even pick up items. Naturally much of the gameplay will revolve around using the right item on the right object, but there is a bit more to it than that. Longtime fans of the series might be upset to learn that there are far fewer chances to meet a grisly end here, as the game will mostly try to keep Martin out of direct harm. This might kill some of the humor that comes from such actions, but it comes with the added benefit of much tighter puzzle mechanics. The interface is simplified to the point where it becomes second nature, and the inventory management is kept to a minimum. It still takes a bit of brain power and clever thinking to figure out how to get out of whatever situation you're currently in, but you can just as often stumble into the right solution through trial and error.

Since players have an end goal in mind, most chapters have the very simple goal of simply finding a way out. Each of the ten chapters have their own regions to explore, but they usually only consist of a handful of screens. I did find the environments and puzzles to be just as inventive as anything else in the series, but there's more of a focus put on a special power Martin acquires early in the game. After finding a mysterious ring, Martin has the power to bring certain dead plants, animals, and monsters to life. This obviously means that Martin is something of a necromancer, but it also gives the puzzles an entirely new dimension. There may be fewer antagonists to take out, and not as many puzzles that have real-time elements to them, but the ring really changes up the standard adventure game mechanics. Suddenly every puzzle has more possible solutions, though it never feels impossible to figure out. At the end of the day this is still a rather simple adventure game that is very welcoming to beginners. Given that I sort of said the same thing about the story earlier, it seems like we're going two-for-two here. Beginner-friendly or not, Some Other Place still has some of that adventure game "moon logic". Some puzzle solutions will leave you wondering how you were expected to figure that out, but that's half the fun of games like this. Also, the smaller environments mean that you can often brute force your way through most puzzles.

I don't want to get too deep in the weeds regarding spoilers, but I do have to mention that the gameplay takes a sharp turn towards the end. The last two chapters of the game not only include actual action sequences, as in ones where you have to run, jump, and attack, but also some stealth ones. Both are a bit clunkier than I think they should be, and they also come with instant death fail states. I mentioned this briefly earlier, but Some Other Place actually is a relatively safe game, where death only occurs occasionally. This flies in the face of other games in the series, and I think the developers decided to load all of that into the final parts of the game. I was able to beat most of these sections on my first or second try, but the fact that they're some of the final challenges is a problem in itself. Since these act as replacements for a "final boss", they're some of the toughest, and longest, sections in the game. There's nothing more annoying than having to restart a long sequence from the beginning because you made one small mistake. It's the one part of the game that I couldn't really get behind, but it's also not a deal breaker by any means. That said, I hope this isn't a new turn for the Creepy Tale series, as I for one prefer there to be little stealth or action in my adventure games.

One of the strongest aspects of the Creepy Tale series as a whole, and this game in particular, has to be its striking visual style. Some Other Place looks mixes together the look and feel of traditional animation with a storybook aesthetic. It's hard to describe it to someone who hasn't seen it in action, but every character and scene moves in a way that reminds one of Paper Theater. This in turn gives off the vibe of a drawing come to life, even if said drawing would have to have come from the most extreme collection of fairy tales ever dreamt up. That's actually the other notable aspect of the visuals: the shocking macabre nature of the game in general. Some Other Place pulls no punches, and there is a surprising amount of gore, death, and other horrific scenes in a game that stars a child protagonist. This dark atmosphere may put off some, but I'm sure it's just as likely to pull in others who are drawn only to the visuals. I literally have nothing negative to say when it comes to graphics, and I wouldn't blame you if you picked it up based on aesthetics alone. I'm not one of those people who constantly argue that video games should be considered art, but I'm willing to make an exception here.

Sound is another part of Some Other Place that is executed to near perfection, and I have plenty of positives to add as well. Admittedly, the music isn't going to jump out at you due to its strong melodies, but it will do a perfect job in setting the mood. Each track conveys unease, horror, excitement, and even humor as needed. It's a great collection of music, and there wasn't a single track that I felt was out of place. Outside of wanting to source music for a haunted house, I doubt I'd ever listen to the soundtrack on its own, but it fits the game like a glove. Then there's the voice acting. I've always been blown away by the quality of voice acting found in the Creepy Tale series, and this one is no exception. Indie games usually have weaker voice acting than their AAA brethren, but the Creepy Tale games often break this stereotype. Well, they do for the most part at least. I unfortunately did find that Martin's voice actor occasionally was a bit off in terms of his acting, and that's a shame since you'll be hearing him by far the most throughout the game. His performance isn't horrible, just a bit uninspired. He does have his great moments though, and thankfully the rest of the cast makes up for it.

There's no other way around it, Creepy Tale: Some Other Place is a pretty short game. I was able to fully clear it in a little under two hours, and I think that most people will be able to do so as well. Even allowing for extra time if you're having trouble with some of the trickier puzzles, this is a 3-4 hour gameplay experience at most. That's mostly on par with the series as a whole, but I still think that it's a bit shorter than the previous games. Then again this might simply be due to the more straightforward nature of the game clouding my judgement, but I can't say for sure. All that said, I think that the game totally earns its current $9.99 price tag, and there's even a 20% off sale at the time of this writing. It's a great game that delivers a very memorable experience, and I think that it's decently replayable despite the fact that there won't be anything truly new to experience in subsequent playthroughs. That price just cements it, and you can get it now for less than the cost of a fast food meal.

It probably comes as no surprise that I give Creepy Tale: Some Other Place the fullest of recommendations. It's not only one of the best adventure games I've played this year, but I think it might be my favorite title in the Creepy Tale series as a whole. It's a must buy for fans of the adventure game genre, those who like their games dark and spooky, and for anyone just looking for a great game in general. Pick it up on whatever platform you can, and thank me later. I can't wait to see what surprises the next Creepy Tale game holds! See you in the next one!

Check Out Creepy Tale: Some Other Place on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/creepy-tale-some-other-place-switch/

---

Story: A
Gameplay: A
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A
Value: A

Overall: A

Pros:
+ Not only is this a strong entry in the Creepy Tale series, it's a great adventure game too.
+ The plot is far more focused this time around, giving the game a more straightforward narrative.
+ Fans of darker fairy tales will find lots to love here, as both the characters and setting will leave players begging for more.
+ Features an amazing art style that comes complete with silky smooth animation. A truly macabre treat for the eyes.
+ The music sets the stage perfectly, and the voice acting is spot on for the most part.
+ Arrives just in time for Halloween!

Cons:
- Is a bit on the short side, with some of the chapters feeling like they ended just as they were getting interesting.
- The action and stealth sequences at the end of the game were a bit too much of a change, and they're a chore to repeat if you fail them.
- Martin's voice actor can be a bit hit or miss.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

---

Uhhhh.... What kind of game is this?!?!

#CreepyTaleSomeOtherPlace