WILL: Follow The Light Review

When I first clapped eyes on WILL: Follow The Light, I was naturally intrigued by its presentation. It had some Alan Wake vibes to it, and first-person adventures generally click with me, even if it doesn’t involve combat. You play as Will, a lighthouse keeper stuck on a remote island, battling the harsh northern seas. Everything seems to go from bad to worse when the radio signal is weak. Disaster strikes your hometown, and your only son is missing. Then it’s up to you to do what any father would do and try to find him. It’s not the smoothest of adventures, but is it a memorable one? Read on and find out in our Complete Xbox review.

Gameplay

WILL: Follow The Light is quite an easygoing experience despite its hard-hitting storyline. It’s a casual blend of light platforming elements with environmental puzzles, figuring things out, and progressing, all in the hope of being reunited with your son. Some of the puzzle-solving I found a bit tedious and more of a chore. I am pleased that I stuck it out through the early phases of the game, though, because actually, there is a very emotional and deep plot. It really makes you think about your own life, especially if you’re a father yourself.

Most of the core gameplay loop is about exploration, wandering through empty villages, fields and old dwellings. Surveying the surroundings will give you indications of the events of what has occurred in the past. Simplistic tasks break up the walking, such as clearing a path or fixing something that is broken; it’s never too much of a challenge, though. This is more of a casual adventure rather than a taxing and high-intensity slog, which is enjoyable if you’re just after something slower paced.

Visuals & Audio

TomorrowHead Studio has nailed the presentation in WILL: Follow The Light, and it’s clear to see from the moment you start playing. During my playthrough on Xbox Series X, I experienced no visual hiccups whatsoever. Where the visuals really shine is in the environment design and the sailing mechanics. With your boat bounding over rough oceans and stormy weather, it’s a very impressive attention to detail. Lighting is excellent, and observing vast backdrops from time to time makes you stop and soak in the world that’s been created.

Audio design complements the great work done with the visuals, and whilst sound effects are subtle in this quiet setting, it leans heavily into the atmosphere. The soundtrack is fantastic and shifts between soft and mellow music to more tense tones as the tension ramps up throughout. Sound effects do the job within their settings, like the crash of waves, the static of the radio and the creak of your boat as you thrash through the ocean.

Final Thoughts

WILL: Follow The Light isn’t the most memorable game I’ve played, and I found parts of the game pretty tedious. But there are plenty of great factors to be found here, both in atmosphere and presentation, in the eight hours or so you’ll have with the game. For those on Xbox, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Xbox Play Anywhere functionality is available for this one. So if you’d like to play it on the fly, you can do so on console, handheld and PC. It’s a great first outing from Tomorrowhead Studios, and if you’d like to pick up a copy for Xbox Series X/S, you can do so HERE.