Howl Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, & PC)

You may have already sunk your teeth into Howl’s wondrous folktale. The striking turn-based indie game launched on the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam on November 14, 2023. Alongside its launch, developer Mi’pu’mi Games GmbH and publisher Astragon released a demo version for gamers still on the fence about it. Anyway, it’s now fully launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. So, the time to decide whether to take it for a spin is now or never.

Described as a game for perfectionists, Howl may only be sculpted for some. However, it does present an intriguing aura about it—perhaps the puzzler you never knew you needed. But enough jibber jabber; here’s our deep-dive Howl review for your reading pleasure. 

Story, Story

It’s time to gather around the campfire for one of those seemingly innocent fairy tales that gradually turns nasty. In a charming little town, the titular ‘howl’ sweeps over the land, turning all who hear it into feral beasts. Our protagonist is a deaf young woman, the only one immune to the howl. It’s up to you to find your lost brother and the cure that’ll save the world.

At first, it seems impossible. Every feral beast freshly turned carries the torch forward, howling into the night and infecting many more around them. Whichever path you take is, therefore, littered, front, right, and center, with all kinds of feral beasts. 

Since Howl is a turn-based game, you’ll need to summon your wits and critical thinking to anticipate a beast’s move accurately. With three options to start: move, shove, and fire an arrow, you’ll decide which action to place your bets on. Then, cross your fingers, hoping the incoming beast falls into your trap.

Uphill Climb

Howl plays a lot more like a puzzle game. It plays like chess, where you try to ‘read the minds’ of the beasts you encounter and plan ahead actions that’ll take them down. The goal is to cross the finish line alive. You do so by reaching the end of a level in a specific total number of turns to fulfill the prophecy for that level. 

Beat that, however, and Howl throws another challenge at you. It tasks you with redoing the level, having killed all the beasts you run into. It’s the only way to collect ‘Skulls,’ which then unlock more areas of the map to explore.

If you succeed, though, you’ll have yet another third challenge waiting for you: rescue all the villagers on the level. The villagers aren’t active characters; instead, they’re innocent bystanders you need to pick up and lead to safety. While you don’t need to complete all three in order, i.e., you can always complete more than one objective in one run, you ultimately must complete all three to proceed.

Think, Plan, Adapt

See, it’s not precisely the easy-peasy game you were hoping for. I mean, first, on the combat front, to fire an arrow, you need to anticipate the enemy’s next move. Keep in mind that enemies are unpredictable for the most part. Some will move one box closer to you, but others can fast-travel three boxes closer to you. Meanwhile, others don’t need to move at all; they can attack you from afar.

Further, you’ll essentially have three objectives to complete per level: kill ALL beasts, rescue ALL villagers, and only use up the specific number of turns per level. Perfectionists will want to complete all three objectives in one go. However, Howl intentionally makes it so it’s impossible to do all three.

In other words, Howl has a precise solution for each level, some of which will require you to complete one objective first, then re-do the level to complete the other, and so on.

In that regard, Howl can feel like a padded game for a more extended playthrough. You’ll often repeat levels, adding up to a total of 60 levels across four chapters. Most of these levels are repeat ones in an attempt to check off all the boxes, hence, this is a game described for perfectionists. 

Chin Up, Beloved

The good news is that the levels do grow increasingly challenging. So, you’ll encounter more dangerous beasts but also unlock new abilities to counter them. You’ll face more beasts per round, for instance, and even come face-to-face with bosses.

Completing the objectives earns you Confidence points, which you can exchange for cool upgrades. You’ll unlock more moves per turn (up to a maximum of six moves). It drastically cuts down on time spent per level, softening the backtracking blow a bit. However, do note that the beasts will still perform an equal number of moves on their turn. So, all this upgrade does is speed your run through, but the stakes remain just as high.

You’ll also unlock more actions, including vault, smoke bomb, piercing shot, and special moves. Most behave as you imagine: drop a smoke bomb to obscure your position. With more upgrades, you can increase the power of your actions—say, upgrade a smoke bomb to stun and damage enemies. Worth noting also are upgrades to ‘undo,’ which, while it doesn’t let you restart a level, can make all the difference in fast-charging you to your goal.

Additionally, you’ll run into tweaks here and there, like only dropping a smoke bomb as your second action of a round. Meanwhile, as enemies increase in number, you’ll need to get craftier at clearing them all. For instance, instead of shoving an enemy into a wall, you can shove them into another enemy to take two down in one go.

Minor Compromise

That said, the bad news is, again, that the game grows more challenging. See, Howl’s M.O. is trial and error, meaning that you die when you try and fail. It’s no trouble in the first levels. Howl does take it easy on you as a newbie, with short levels that you can redo pretty fast. However, the latter levels are more extended and more demanding.

In a game that pushes you to take risks and make mistakes, having to repeat the same level over and over again can quickly take its toll. By this point, you could call it quits. After all, you’ll have seen most of what Howl has to offer.

You can choose to lower the difficulty, though, essentially allowing the game to show you what a beast’s next move is likely to be. It won’t solve the entire level for you. However, it can get you closer to beating a frustrating level in less time.

Silver Lining

Speaking of ramming enemies into a wall, the maps, although initially simplistic, feature immense variety, too. You’ll constantly encounter obstacles, some of which influence your next move but others that can pose an advantage on the battlefield, like flaming tiles that inflict damage on anyone who walks over them.

What’s more? Howl perfectly nails the soundtrack, string instruments and all. It uses light narration and fantasy with a hint of melancholy. You truly feel like you’re nestled inside a fable. Further, spotting blood-red ink stains in the heat of battle works to immerse you further in the game.

Overall, flat 2D, hand-drawn series of still blocks seem to have been more popular a while back. The game’s folklore is like a battle grid illustrated in a painting. It’s the perfect visual that immediately draws your attention and takes you back to the fascinating deep story and lore of media like The Little Red Riding Hood.

Verdict

Howl feels deceptively good. At first, it seems like an easy tactical RPG you’ll spend just a few minutes in and move on to the next one. However, it soon unveils its true form as a devilish puzzle game that’ll leave you scratching your head in deep frustration. By orchestrating a precise path to victory, you’ll spend hours figuring out the best way forward.

The stakes quickly become higher than you anticipated. Enemies grow more powerful and overwhelming. Meanwhile, you unlock more weapons and skill varieties that complicate your next steps further. Not to be a buzzkill, by the way—all the complexities and trying times Howl dishes out to you are the best parts about it.

Fans of folktales and folk horror, in particular, will have a blast. It narrates a dark story with a glimmer of hope. The gameplay constantly shifts gears, introducing enemy variety and skill upgrades every chance you get. Above all, its creative inky aesthetic and robust sense of atmospheric vibe carry you through its lackluster parts. 

If not for the love of puzzle solving, then for its gorgeous ‘living ink’ aesthetic. You’ll find yourself trekking back for repeated playthroughs, even though backtracking is intentionally weaved into the game. No matter what, Howl boasts a distinctive experience best experienced for oneself. 

Yet, that may still not be enough for gamers who don’t typically enjoy repetitive playthroughs, especially at the mercy of the game itself. Plus, the need to complete the objectives in a specific way can rub you off the wrong way. Fortunately, Howl has a demo version to test the waters with.