Baba Yaga is as synonymous with video games as H.P. Lovecraft, and the Slavic folklore character has appeared in games such as Once Human and Fortnite, as well as REKA and Yaga. Vasilia and Baba Yaga tells the tale from the perspective of a young girl sent on an errand to meet the infamous witch.
Adapted from classic folklore tales, Vasilia is the daughter of a merchant who remarries after his wife’s death. Her stepmother resents the child, so when the father heads away on business, she sends Vasilia into the woods to Baba Yaga to seek the power of fire (hoping that the latter will devour her).
Without questioning, Vasilia reluctantly heads into the woods and encounters a variety of scary entities intent on harming her. However, before her death, Vasilia’s mother leaves behind a doll that, if fed, will come alive and protect Vasilia from evil – even completing errands to ensure her well-being.
Vasilia and Baba Yaga Review (Switch)
Vasilia and Baba Yaga is a side-scrolling adventure that’s comparable to a walking simulator due to its on-rails nature. While there is little room for failure, the gameplay mechanics are mildly frustrating rather than difficult. From Vasilia’s perspective, this is through stealth tactics, such as hiding behind trees and waiting for an opportunity to pass; otherwise, she is sent back a few steps.
This aspect is very slow-paced, so with some patience, Vasilia and Baba Yaga can be completed in one sitting, without any frills other than an excellent encyclopedia of the creatures you encounter. Vasilia will typically hide but can jump at a few calculated spots or enter a QTE, which should be labelled ‘Slow Time Event’.
Naturally, these nasties aren’t going to disappear on their own, so while Vasilia is cowering away, her doll goes in on the attack, whipping enemies into shape, knocking objects out of the way, or rescuing passers-by. The doll does have a health meter represented by the bread you feed it, so upon death, you have to repeat sections, which will likely be one of the bosses.
Hide And Sleep
The bosses in the game follow a similar pattern, hitting some weak points and then aiming for the face. Though unbeknownst to me for a few frustrating attempts, I realised you could throw a bag of sacred salt to wind them and defeat them as was intended. My efforts were getting me nowhere.
For those parts, the gameplay mechanics in Vasilia and Baba Yaga are quite poor and monotonous. If there’s an enemy in your path, you put down the doll and run around like a headless chicken, bashing the attack button. For Vasilia’s duties, you’ll likely make silly mistakes due to impatience from waiting.
Let’s now focus on the positives, as the storytelling is excellent. Yes, it’s pre-existing text presented in the native tongue, delivered in the same manner as it was presented to villagers in the past. Without understanding the language, it serves more as a novelty, and through that lack of understanding, one might say it’s fitting for the piece and sets the tone.
Play Us A Tune, Baba
Equally, the music in the game is great. It’s traditional folk(?), and the tempo and general beats hit at the right moments and never feel repetitive. The only criticism of the sound in Vasilia and Baba Yaga is the audio quality. It’s somewhat distorted, and I’m unsure whether that was intentional or if the Nintendo Switch is nearing the end of its life. Coincidentally, my Nintendo Switch 2 arrived 22 minutes ago, so thrilled about that. Just sayin’.
Another standout is the beautiful illustrations and cut-out animations. As a game, they’re quite janky and sluggish to interact with, but as eye candy – c’est bon! The characters are beautifully illustrated in a style I’m not so familiar with, so from that perspective, they were brill.
Slavic folklore is still a mystery to me (unintentionally written), but to save a few internet searches and bookshelf dust extraction, Vasilia and Baba Yaga has an encyclopedia of the characters introduced in the game. It is entirely optional, of course, but it prompts a bit more immersion and opportunities to discover new things. Without Kessen, I’d never have been so knowledgeable on the Sengoku era.
Vasilia and Baba Yaga Review Summary
A fascinating tale that may not be familiar to many gamers, Vasilia and Baba Yaga is engaging through its storytelling, art style, and sound production; however, if we’re being honest, it occasionally masks the slightly monotonous gameplay.
