Night of the Full Moon Review—An Addictive Ode to a Timeless Tale of Lycans and Red Riding Hoods

Reading Time: 2 mins 54 secs

Amid the horrid weather conditions, my neighbours suddenly pulled me into an impromptu session of babysitting their daughter last night. For some unknown reason, she seemed to have a massive obsession with fairy tales (Especially Little Red Riding Hood).

Through the night, I've gone over the much-beloved story of Little Red Riding Hood countless times — over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house she goes… However, what she discovers is much worse than simply her ailing grandmother. The wolf has devoured the old lady and gobbles up Little Red next. Of course, this isn't a proper Brothers Grimm ending, so the Huntsman drops by and saves the women before killing the wolf. 

There, they all lived happily ever after.

Yet, we are seldom given a chance to play it for ourselves regardless of the number of times we've heard that story. 

Thankfully, the developer, Giant Games, is here to give us that experience in a way you've never expected before with their darker reiteration of the beloved Little Red Riding Hood story.

As I'm writing this, I've begun the wee hours of my morning with your not so average fairytale story turned video game—Night of the Full Moon (NFM). While its lore may have had various versions throughout history, Giant Games' take on the story of the girl and the wolf is distinctive and feels very alluring.

Sure enough, you started off playing the part of Little Red Riding Hood, as one would expect. However, Giant Games offers you various classes to choose from, instead of a cute little girl. All in all, it all boils down to how you'd like to play the game.

NFM starts off simple enough: having you embark on your search for the whereabouts of the Big Bad Wolf and your grandmother with a deck of cards on hand. Instead of having the Lumberjack's help, you'll have to venture through the ancient castles and dark woods alone, facing a multitude of intriguing enemies constantly—ranging from Pumpkin King to Forrest Lawman to Drunk Butler. Oh, boy! Now, I've seen everything!

As I progressed through the game, it eventually dawned on me that the overly simple game mechanics does, in a certain sense, become quite a bore yet remains quite addictive. Most crucially, the stunning Gothic art style has you hooked on collecting as many variations of cards as possible (Yes, mates, it's because I'm a hoarder). Well, nothing beats immersing myself in a game that's quite similar to the likes of Slay the Spire and Legends of Runeterra.

Despite all the addictions the game may lure you into, what I find most exasperating in NFM is its imbalanced difficulty. Sure, it may initially be an easy game to pick up, but the game can really pack a hefty punch! 

As riling as that sounds, just be prepared to hit replay... a lot. 

So, if you think you have what it takes to complete the game with all the classes, be sure to join me here for a wild ride!