Little Goody Two Shoes

[ PERFECTLY FLAWED PROTAGONIST ] Little Goody Two Shoes stars Elise, an underappreciated maid of all work, though she'd prefer you call her Miss Elise. Elise works hard, harder than most in her small mountain town, so who can blame her for having dreams of an easy life filled with pretty ballgowns, sparkling jewels, and doting maids? Elise is both parts selfless and selfish, both bratty and brave, making her a complicated and compelling protagonist to follow. Her life is changed forever when a demon offers her the desires of her heart if she can overcome his trials and pay a heavy price. It is these gruelling trials, the tribulations of the town, and how she treats her friends that will decide her fate over the course of the game. Being a headstrong and outspoken young woman in a town full of religious repression and witchcraft accusations leaves Elise perched on a precarious ledge she has to try not to fall off as she treads between being socially agreeable and being her true spitfire self. Elise can end up as a heartfelt heroine or a downright monster depending on the player's choices, but each ending feels flavoured by her particular personality, leading to real heart-tugging scenarios making you empathise with her even in endings when she has more than earned a terrible fate. Elise is hiding another secret from the town, one that a very old, religiously repressed town won't take kindly to; she's very gay or at least bisexual. She hides the objects of her affection away in the pause menu in the form of a golden locket that contains the game's three romanceable characters. Her love life will serve as Elise's test of character throughout the game, while her bravery is tested by the demonic dangers of the forest during the witching hour. Elise had endeared herself to me with her spitfire personality, bossy but benevolent demeanour and a haughty passion that drives her forward, grounded by her heroic heart. The game has beautifully realised art, a unique atmosphere you'll experience as you spend time in this delightfully detailed mountain town and a thrilling supernatural underbelly that'll have you enthralled as you uncover the secrets of the woods surrounding the town, but it's Elise herself that has charmed me the most. The restraint they took with Elise was refreshing because it really puts you in the shoes of a young woman struggling against suspicion, demonic threats and her duelling desires. In making Elise feel distinctly human, we can better relate to her journey, and it's exactly because she lacks any kind of powers, combat skills or magic that Little Goody Two Shoes finds its greatest strength as a horror game in the vulnerability and earnestness through which it displays its protagonist.