Raging Loop Review: Cry Wolf

 

In the isolated mountain village of Yasumizu, a sporadic mist heralds the "Feast", an event during which some of the villagers are turned into werewolves by the Ookami (creatures from the underworld) and forced to hunt their fellow man by night. No one can leave Yasumizu until the feast is over, so to aid the humans in identifying the wolves, five guardian beasts bestow their powers on select residents of Yasumizu.

The villagers hang one by day. The wolves kill one by night.

The plot is essentially a game of "werewolf" in which the player is more of an observer than an actual participant. The goal isn't so much about winning the game as it is about uncovering the identity of the mastermind behind the game. The narrative is rather complex and written in a way that expects the reader to be competent. Over the course of multiple "time loops" a host of real and false information is gathered and picked apart, or straight-up altered. Sprinkle in some eccentric characters, like a crazy old man living in an outhouse or a cross-dressing boy and a "time loop" narrative that seemingly can't decide if the supernatural "werewolf" events are real or not, and it should come as no surprise the sequence of events gets muddled. Buts it's well written and focused, which makes wanting to unravel the deception, survive the psychological mind games, and find the culprit(s) responsible so rewarding.

 As cleverly written as this visual novel is, Raging Loop is not without its flaws. The Fujiyoshi (mountain) lore and its gods are key to reaching the truth, but they were easily the hardest threads to follow because there are so many versions of the legend to keep track of. My suspension of disbelief was tested towards the latter half of the game. Up to that point everything seemed to be building towards a logical explanation for the strange events in Yasumizu (highlight to read): a secret underground tunnel system, cameras to monitor people, sleeping drugs, a correlation between where someone was staying and the power (if any) they received from the "Guardians". So, the revelation that some of the supernatural events were in fact real after all was a bit deflating. It felt like a cheap attempt at a plot twist. I would have preferred they went all-in on one explanation or the other, instead of the half-supernatural/half-natural hybrid conclusion.

 

 

The story is a pretty straightforward read with a few branching choice options sprinkled in. The choice system is unique in that the protagonist's memories are looping, so when he makes a bad decision he remembers how poorly it went and devises a new course of action the second or third time around. Some choice options are even locked until the protagonist has the foresight needed to open those story paths. These choices determine what events the protagonist will witness and the kinds of information he can gather, making death a necessary element to proceed.

 

My first looping session was all about meeting with the residents of Yasumizu and learning about their superstitions without contributing directly to the werewolf game:

• The Wolves will take one life during the night.
• The villagers must hang one during the day.

 

 

Villagers with a "Guardian Beast" power aid in uncovering the identities of the lycanthropes:

• The Snake can reveal if one living person is a wolf or a human.
• The two Monkeys know who the other Monkey is.
• The Spider can protect one person from the Wolf each night.
• The Crow can reveal if the hanged person was a Wolf or a Human.

 

 

The village also has a set of rules the villagers must adhere to, lest they risk being removed from the game as a "rule breaker":

1. Cleanse: Everyone must shower before bed.
2. Shelter: Each person must have their own home with locking doors.
3. Sleep: Everyone must be asleep after 8.

 

 

My second looping session offered the chance to (highlight to read) directly participate in the feast in a big way, and the third looping session had me playing for the other side as a wolf. The fourth and final session was just one massive info dump that further twisted an already convoluted narrative. The final loop was the point where the story started to collapse under its own weight.

 

 

Raging Loop is a great adventure for anyone that enjoys deciphering dense narratives. The multi-layered psychological story boasts a strong cast of characters, including a competent, slightly manipulative, main character. The ending stumbled as it rushed to tie up all of its loose ends, but the journey overshadowed most of the faults.

First posted to videogamegeek.com on October 7, 2020.

 

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