Momodora reverie under the moonlight enemies

One of my main criticisms of a majority of modern games is that you spend an awful lot of time not playing it. You are spending more time playing the game. You aren't burdened by a menu, or a long tutorial, or countless menu screens or trivial cutscenes. These low-item and low-feature ideas should be adopted by every game in the genre. You get a dodge-roll and a double jump at the start, both which activate and control effortlessly. It feels good to control, not floaty or slow. If you've ever played a side-scroller before, you pick it all up quickly and then the game is yours to enjoy. The tutorial is achieved in a few sentences across a few rooms where you can test the controls against enemies at the very start of the game. There are less than a dozen pieces of equipment, none of which are mandatory. There are a few consumable items you can purchase, but only one is required. You only get two weapons through the whole game: a leaf for melee, and a bow for ranged.

The world was brought alive by the music. The boss fights and special battles have fast-paced, powerful crescendos. It was unsettling and added a feeling to the setting of the area that wouldn't have been achieved otherwise. There is a large portion of the map that has only an ominous, droning sound with occasional chimes in the background. Starting with a melodic piano track, it quickly changes to moody and downtrodden ambient tones. It's different from music in other games in that it treads its own path. It certainly adds an intangible feel to it, and I found myself idling on certain screens and playing around on my phone because I wanted to listen a little longer. I am a firm believer that a good soundtrack can make or break a game. The music accompanying each different area was wonderful. Then you'd come across set pieces with beautiful design, colorful scenes, and atmospheric environments. While you were traveling through rooms and fighting enemies, the rooms were straightforward and gameplay-centric. The entire game was a masterpiece in its approach to this concept. The inoffensiveness of the art ended up aiding it. The lack of imperious elements on the screen gave it a quaint spectacle. Pixel-style graphics are usually a style choice I don't enjoy, but after the initial disdain, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit.

Momodora reverie under the moonlight enemies