Sephonie

With very good music, a decent movement system, a decent story and a whole lot of collectibles this game is definitely worth your time. It's a bit rough around the edges though. For example, I got soft-locked once (but thanks to the infinite jump setting that was quickly fixed), jumping while wallrunning into more wallrunning feels near impossible, the story at times feels like it's not telling you anything whatsoever which weakens the overarching plot a bit and the visuals sometimes make it hard to find the right direction. The postgame is well made and makes for a fun last runthrough of the game. I do not really understand why the epilogue is not attatched to the main game though. A simple timeskip would've made sense too, but that's just my opinion. Anyway, great game, had fun, would reccomend

[b]FUN: ✔ FEELS: ✔[/b] Art, music, and shockingly unique writing all come together to make this pleasant 8-hour-ish experience an impactful one. During multiple levels, I had to stop and just admire the surreal atmosphere of the game world. The game is not flawless. I had a personal, meditative experience with Sephonie that may not land for others. [h2]"All I can see are shards of light and incongruous blossoms of scent that fill my heart with sadness."[/h2] This line of in-game text showcases the quality of writing and encapsulates the uncanny feeling of this world. Right from the start, the menu put me in a mystical mood with its haunting music and wide desert landscape. Upon entering the game, I was immediately charmed by lovingly crafted low-res textures evocative of games from the early 2000s. Perhaps it helps contribute to the alien feel, as the game opens sitting on a train car across from an alien. I was surprised to find such a surreal start giving way to a real-world setting (U.S., Japanese, and Taiwanese researchers on a joint scientific expedition). This makes for an interesting juxtaposition, inviting the player to ponder the nature of the familiar versus the unknown. The world of Sephonie is one that is at the same time recognizable and wholly other. The art and music are truly captivating. Weirdly sloping hills frame watery golden skies, glimpsed through cliff walls of ochre caves supported by spires stretching into abyss. Warping synths slow down and speed up, creating a bizarre yet peaceful auditory landscape. The game features a unique moveset among 3D platformers that goes beyond simple jump/double jump/glide, with an emphasis on manipulating wall runs and dashes. The moveset makes exploration attractive as you experiment with your capabilities. It also contributes to some very interesting level design that’s neither completely linear nor totally open. Navigating later levels requires some fancy moves that I sometimes felt I was fighting the controls to pull off (wall running and jumping into another wall run in particular), but I never reached an untenable point of frustration, perhaps due to the game’s quite reasonable checkpoint system. The 3D platforming action is broken up by an interesting puzzle minigame that further reminds me of how early 2000s titles like Ratchet & Clank tended to mix in such. The puzzle mechanics may take a bit to click, but once they do, I find the game delights on multiple fronts. And speaking of puzzles, even navigating the levels themseves has a puzzle-like Metroidvania quality in lieu of any actual combat. I'm further struck by how accessible this game feels. You can tell the designers are experienced gamers from the simple, approachable tutorials and intuitive way everything just “works” the way I naturally wanted or expected. There are further accessibility options that let you streamline the puzzles and platforming, which lets the player engage at their comfort level. You can feel the effort put into the writing of this game, from the entertaining animal entries to narrative lines like "A lonely receiver-beyond-time drinks the deluge, indulging." Not only is the writing voice unique and interesting, the story delivery feels incredibly intimate and human. The game is full of detailed, intricate meditations on connection, tracing all the ways something as seemingly mundane as “fish” can hold deeply significant meaning to different people. This game was profoundly impactful for me. Exploring themes of connection in spaces that felt like they kissed up against the great dark beyond made me feel like a kid again. I was reminded of why I fell in love with gaming, and what I hope to experience in any game I play. I adored what I saw, what I read, what I heard, and most of all what I [i]felt[/i] while playing Sephonie.