Assessment: Nicely Dweller (Nintendo Swap)

In the event you like your fairy tales slightly darkish and twisted, Nicely Dweller is likely to be proper up your alley. This metroidvania-style journey follows an cute little birdie named Glimmer, who’s on a mission to save lots of his household. After a crazed hunter snatches up his siblings, Glimmer units out to rescue them and tackle the depraved queen, who’s been searching birds for his or her feathers to make a royal robe. It’s a fairly darkish premise for a recreation with such cute characters, however that distinction is a part of what makes it attention-grabbing.

The gameplay revolves round exploring a big, related world, discovering secrets and techniques, fixing puzzles, and unlocking new skills. As Glimmer will get stronger, new areas change into out there, supplying you with causes to revisit locations you’ve already explored. One factor that helps the sport stand out is its motion mechanics, which put extra emphasis on climbing than the double jumps you’ll discover in loads of different platformers. There’s so much to find, however the backtracking can get slightly outdated whenever you’re attempting to determine the place to go subsequent. Typically you’ll discover a path that appears promising solely to find you may’t do something with it simply but. Nevertheless, there are many checkpoints, and finally you’ll unlock a quicker option to journey backwards and forwards between areas.

Fight is pretty simple, with Glimmer utilizing a matchstick to struggle enemies and trinkets offering totally different upgrades. The bosses are a spotlight, that includes some critically weird creature designs that match the sport’s darkish fairytale setting. You’ll additionally discover storybook pages that reveal extra in regards to the world and its characters alongside the way in which. Whereas there’s lots to get pleasure from right here, common enemies don’t all the time provide a lot selection and a few encounters can begin feeling repetitive. There are additionally stealth and chase sequences that require good timing, which could check the persistence of some gamers, however I loved them. I believe they added a pleasant little change of tempo to the sport; as per the “repetitive-ness” I discussed above.

One of many first issues that stands out about Nicely Dweller is its artwork model. The sport has a hand crafted look, with spooky, detailed environments. Together with cute little characters, that may flip downright horrifying whenever you get a better look. There’s nearly a Tim Burton-esque high quality to a number of the designs, with uncommon creatures and a world that appears like one thing out of a twisted storybook. The bosses are particularly memorable, and there’s a pleasant stability between the charming and the unsettling. It provides the sport a persona of its personal as an alternative of constructing it really feel like simply one other darkish fantasy journey.

I additionally actually love the primary protagonist Glimmer. An excellent-cute little hen who’s caught in a literal nightmare, attempting to save lots of their household. How might you not?

The music does a very good job of setting the temper, too. The soundtrack suits the strangeness, and it helps make a number of the extra sinister areas really feel much more unsettling. The story is advised by means of Glimmer’s journey and the smaller tales scattered all through the dominion, reasonably than counting on a number of dialogue. I like the concept of discovering extra in regards to the world as you discover it, though gamers searching for an enormous, character-driven story would possibly need slightly extra depth. Fortunately, there are issue settings and help choices to assist make issues extra manageable, which is good when a number of the recreation’s challenges get slightly irritating.

Total, Nicely Dweller has so much going for it. The exploration is participating, the artwork model is superior, and the mix of cute characters and nightmarish creatures provides it a singular really feel. The backtracking and occasional irritating sequences maintain it from being good, and the fight might use slightly extra selection, however there’s nonetheless lots right here for followers of creepy metroidvania video games to get pleasure from. In the event you’re searching for a brand new journey with a darker fairytale twist, Nicely Dweller is value testing.