The side-scrolling platformer is far from dead with this great game!
The story is narrated during loading screens, which don't take more
than a minute to load, at the longest. And while the story isn't
terribly complex, the world is brought to life in sharp, vivid colors
and beautiful 3D rendering. Though the entire game is played in two
dimensions, the environments appear layered, and in a few levels some of
the (abundant) traps actually appear to swing "towards" and "away from"
the screen.
The gameplay is complex, though not frustratingly so. To attempt to
simply jump through these levels will quickly result in failure. You
have three separate characters, each with their own abilities, and they
work VERY well together. As you progress, you will unlock items (some
general use, some character-specific) and new skills for your
characters. In terms of pacing, the game does an excellent job of
introducing new abilities just as you get into an area where you need
them, and building on that later in the game.
The combat is not deep. It is pretty button-mashy, although the
knight's shield will save you from certain death. It can even be used
to block the fireballs from certain traps. The thief has her arrows,
which can be upgraded to shoot a fire arrow, or multiple arrows (with
abilities and items maxed out, 5 I think). Even the wizard (despite
lacking a fireball spell) is able to crush enemies with his planks and
boxes that he can conjure.
My wife and I both greatly enjoyed this game. It's a short, sweet
platformer with plenty of character, eye candy, gameplay affecting
physics, and charm. Pick this up as a treat for the whole family.
