The first part of the fifth episode of Scarlet Hollow was released a few days ago. I sat down to play it today, and it was fine. I played through a few paths just to see which I enjoyed more.
If I was smart, then I would’ve started over. This is something I’ll probably do once the game leaves early access. There was something off about one of the paths I went through, as it didn’t fit with the narrative I was following.
There were several updates to the game from the last time I played it. As I looked over those updates, I realized I should play from the beginning. I’ll do this after the second part of episode five goes live on February 20.
So, What Happened?
The game gives you the option to recap what you did in the previous four episodes. I did this because it’s been a while since I last played, and I appreciate having this option. Then my character wakes up in a strange place.
Not knowing how the previous chapter ended made this a little odd. This was my first indicator that I should’ve started over. Either way, my character is in a strange room. After exploring it, it turns out I’m in the abandoned wing of the Scarlet mansion, which is a place I was told not to go.
After exploring the place, you find out some things about the Scarlet family. You also find a cell and learn about “the boy in the wall.” Then you find Wayne, the creepy guy who has a cloth over his head. Apparently, Tabitha knows him and thinks he is a creep.
Wayne tells you that Tabitha has plans for you, and that people can’t leave the town. He then tells you about a Witch, and you leave the house. This is where things got a little weirder for me.
I first went to Tabitha and got arrested. Then I restarted and tried to leave town. This told me that people are losing their memories for some unknown reason. Even the player’s character is losing his memories. Every path seems to be leading you to something important. I guess I’ll find out on the 20th.
Questions
My big question is still “what the hell is going on?” When you go to the town, it is abandoned, which makes sense because the strike is going on. On top of that, the people who didn’t work at the mine seem to be gone.
If you go to Tabitha, things will escalate quickly. I mean, you walk into her office, and she’s cleaning her shotgun. You can quickly piss her off, which is how I got arrested by the cops. Not that they had anything to charge me with, but whatever.
I’m not sure what Wayne is, who this witch is supposed to be, or where the people went. It did feel like an episode happened in between the fourth and the fifth, which is probably my fault. This part sets up a few things I’ll be happy to see unfold in the second part of this episode.
Wrap Up
I know this is all building up to something, I’m just not sure what it is. There are a lot of reasons to go back and play this game a few more times, which is something I’ll have to do. I’ll be interested to see how many possible endings there are, and how different perks change the story. I also really want to know more about Wayne’s story and what is up with the Scarlet family.
If you liked this post, please check out what I said about the other four episodes, Scarlet Hollow episodes 1-4.