Whispering Willows

GamingTrendCodi Spence

90/100

Whispering Willows is a cool little indie horror game that focuses on exploration and puzzle solving. The game isn't necessarily scary, but the parallel story and atmosphere are definitely eerie. The ghost form mechanic is fun, and the game allows you to collect some items early, which is nice as well.

GameSpewKim Snaith

8/10

Overall, Whispering Willows is worth a go, especially for those who enjoy a slow, story-driven adventure. Despite its ease and short gameplay time, Whispering Willows has a good story to tell. The emphasis on puzzle and exploration coupled with the 2D side-scrolling presentation is reminiscent of traditional adventure games of the 90s; it’s just a shame that the puzzles in this one don’t offer much in the way of a challenge.

NoobFeedMegan Bethke

80/100

To expect a true horror game from Whispering Willows is to be disappointed. Other than ghosts, creepy creatures and a bit of blood and gore, it's questionable as to how the game could fit in with others in the genre. Scream worthy or not, players will not be disappointed, only wanting more, wishing Whispering Willows was a bit more lengthy. It's a game that players can sit down and play in one or two sittings, ending even more quickly if not looking for the hidden notes. The only thing more ghastly than its ghosts is finishing Whispering Willows and wanting more.

Gaming NexusCyril Lachel

7.4/10

Whispering Willows is an engaging horror-themed graphic adventure starring a likeable hero and a haunted mansion. Unfortunately, the great presentation is undone by a predictable story and simple puzzles. Elena's journey may be full of ghouls and ghosts, but it fails to scare up much excitement.

GameSpotMiguel Concepcion

7/10

Careless whisper.

Game RantDenny Connolly

6/10

With a ten dollar price tag for PlayStation Plus members, don't expect to get a ton of mileage out of Whispering Willows. Unless you get stuck looking for a way to cut through some vines or get lost in a maze of hedges, the horror puzzle game shouldn't take more than five hours to complete. Moreover, there isn't a ton of motivation to replay or revisit the game upon completion. The initial storytelling experience is well worth the ten dollars though, so we still give it a thumbs up.

COGConnectedCharles Adams

58/100

Once I heard that Whispering Willows was a horror/adventure game I was somewhat excited to see how much it could scare me. I don’t play horror games that often, because I’m a bit of a scaredy cat, so I was indeed a bit cautious, but after playing I can confirm this game is not at all a scary. At best it could be called creepy, but that is still stretching it. If you are looking for a deep and engrossing game, this isn’t it as it is more of a casual experience.

IGNJon Ryan

5.8/10

Whispering Willows is not without its strengths - it sounds great, is (for the most part) visually interesting, and there are a lot of good story ideas and potentially interesting puzzle concepts in play. However, thanks largely to a woefully short campaign and a lack of truly challenging puzzles, it ultimately doesn’t manage to create a particularly fulfilling experience.

Nintendo LifeTim Latshaw

5/10

Whispering Willows has the foundation laid for a great adventure game, but is held back by some shortcomings. Yes, there's some of the slowness in walking and loading, but this can be forgivable by players who enjoy taking their time and drinking everything in. The biggest problem lies in how it feels there could be so much more to fill this world. The game can be finished in about 3 hours, leaving a void that could have possibly been filled with deeper puzzles, deeper dialogues with the ghosts, and simply more to experience overall. What lies in this shallow grave may still be enjoyable, but ...

ShackNewsDaniel Perez

5/10

Whisper Willows is a good effort by an indie studio as the art style drew me in from the moment I first saw it, but it lacks any sort of depth as its puzzles aren't difficult to figure out and it's story, as horrific as it turns out to be, didn't really entice me. I didn't feel any sort of connection with the people in the game nor did I care what happened to them, and I'm not entirely sure if it's my fault for plowing through the game or if Night Light Interactive just made a boring game.

GameWatcherAdam Standing

0/10

It means that for all Whispering Willows’ atmosphere it can’t deliver what it sets out to achieve. I don’t often say games need to be longer but here, the experience needs more locations, more detail and more time to fill out its fiction to be able to tackle the themes it wants to tell.

VGChartzChinh Tran

Unscored

Whispering Willows proves that simplicity, atmosphere, and a strong narrative can go a long way to creating a memorable gaming experience.Today’s gaming landscape is littered with shooters and open world games that generally highlight action over narrative. Whispering [...]