I had a chance to try out a very unique game that is incredibly difficult to attribute to any specific genre. After all, when you read through the description of Little Goody Two Shoes on its Steam page, the images that might be created in your head likely will not match what the game actually has to show you.
Development studio AstralShift already has a name for extraordinary games or, more specifically, a game – Pocket Mirror. And now the team released their horror RPG in the style of the old school fairy tales, the original stories that later gave birth to the children-oriented versions. Needless to say, the originals were way less fabulous.
Little Goody Two Shoes is a bewitching scary fairy tale about the most secret desires of our heroine Elise and the price that is required to fulfill them.
Little Goody Two Shoes is fascinating. The main pillars of the project are the plot and the visuals, with other features fading into background. The game tells players the story of a young girl named Elise who was found by an elderly woman and raised as her daughter. But once she passed away, young Elise was once again left all on her own.
To be able to feed herself, Elise is forced to work in the village, a monotonous and far-from-easy task that sees no end. It led to some vile feelings on Elise’s part, she wanted to live in a castle, have many servants and watch as others work while she no longer has to.
One evening, Elise stayed in the village later than usual and, returning home, discovered that someone had broken into her house. Remembering all the rumors about a witch that lives in the forest, Elise searches the building but finds only another girl, Rozenmarine, that immediately wins her trust.
Elise invites Rozenmarine to live with her and help around the house. After a Church service, Elise also finds a strange note that details a ritual conducted in a cave… And it is up to players to decide how to proceed: to try and find out who performed the ritual and what it was meant to do, or continue humbly working and praying in the Church, or maybe chase after the charming bachelorettes of Kieferberg?
You might ask, sooo… Where’s the horror? It is very gently interspersed into the game, and starts mainly at night. Elise begins to dream of a strange castle with no exit, with the walls for some reason bearing her portraits… The heroine is also attacked by various monsters: ghosts, witches, and mysterious whispers about wishes and “Him” who will fulfill them if Elise brings “Him” 3 gifts. Elise also receives a pair of red shoes as a gift from “Him”.
Let’s stop with the plot on this note, further spoilers can greatly impede your enjoyment of the game. Let me just add that there are 10 different endings in the game. Some good, some bad, and the one you will get depends solely on your actions.
However, each ending will offer its own bit to the plot, and this is the kind of revelation you will not see anywhere else in the game. Do you want to find out why the villagers treat Elise so… strangely? You can, one of the endings sheds more light on the story of Elise and her grandmother.
Another might share the story of Rozenmarine, and who she really is, yet another will show the mistreatment from the villagers, and so on. Each one adds something of its own but I do advise you to collect them all. Even though my first ending was grim and dark, I don’t regret it. Go for it, the game will reward you for the time spent in it.
Let’s talk about the visual style, which is just gorgeous. It feels incredibly alive, with the screensavers stylized after the old 80’s and 90’s anime titles. This kind of Style applies to the entire game, just like that with capital S, anything else won’t be a fair way to describe it. Every location is filled with details and little touches, living fragments and beautiful scenery, perfectly transporting players into the game world and immersing them in the story.
The music is also great and brightens up the time spent in the game, each melody is skillfully adjusted and delights the ears at just the right moments.
I can’t say that the horror elements are scary in the traditional fashion, but you do worry about Elise as you go through the events of Little Goody Two Shoes. The entire horror segment is very atmospheric, the need to constantly be in the light, even in nightmares, trying to survive and get away from enemies… There are a few jump scares and screamers, but more often than not the game is about a depressing atmosphere that brings around interesting surprises.
In addition to the usual gameplay, Little Goody Two Shoes also contains time-management, mini-games and puzzles.
The time-management is quite simple at first glance, you have several phases of the day, during which you can choose what to do. Play with a friend, or work, clean up the square, or go to the forest, or maybe you’d like a date? Your every decision will have certain consequences.
Mini-games also received a lot of love, and are presented in the style of old slot machines. In one mini-game you’ll need to take eggs from chickens, in another to chop wood and throw away the rest of the items, in third and forth… It’s for you to find out!
I had a lot of fun going through them, trying to get a better score, or just trying not to lose. Finishing mini-games and chores gives you money that can be spent on food. In turn, food replenishes your satiety and Health points and can serve as a bribe to keep the residents of the village from considering Elise a witch… And believe me, food management will manage to both bore you AND scare you at times.
Local village gossip will gladly tell anyone who’s ready to listen that Elise’s a witch unless you stuff her with food to keep her quiet. After all, the villagers are of a religious sort and even just a whisper of witchcraft can lead to Elise’s untimely demise. So it’s up to you to manage when to work and when to have fun accordingly.
The game also features 3 cute girls that Elise can start a romantic relationship with: Freya, Lebkuchen and Rozenmarine. You can spend time with them, start a friendship or something more. It also requires time, but each of them will be able to tell you more about the story and provide some help in return. Your Church friend (Lebkuchen) might notice that Elise frequently looks tired and hungry, and provide you with food, while Rozenmarine’s story will strike you right in the heart.
The game also contains puzzles. There aren’t a lot of them but they truly manage to get on your nerves at certain times. One of these had me googling moon phases or some other information of similar kind. The game itself doesn’t provide many clues and, and it can be annoying. It does wonders for the immersion and the atmosphere, of course, but sometimes you would have to reload a much older saved game because, for example, a puzzle required more satiety than Elise had at that moment. Time-management proves its importance once again.
To sum it up, we have a truly dark fairy tale. With its own pros and cons, with its own story and nuances, teaching a lesson in certain aspects, but everyone is free to decide for themselves what that lesson is.
- Similar to: Pocket Mirror ~ GoldenerTraum
- Note: the PC version of the game is a verified purchase by the author
