Wednesday 5 March, 2008

GAMEPLAY

It's very easy for me to get wrapped up into the mythical world of Lunatea, but it's also very easy to loose interest in the game after you've played it a couple times. I'm afraid that the game--for the most part--is a time time thing. However, completing the game isn't all there is to do in the game. There are plenty of worlds to explore over and over again. Furthermore, there is an overarching side quest, where for each level--or vision in the game--you can collect 150 dream stones to unlock a picture in the scrapbook or every time you collect all 6 stars you get a Mommet Doll. By collecting these items you can unlock hidden features like the two time-attack stages.

There is a stage that can be unlocked where a second player can take on the form of Klonoa's side-kick, Popka, and occasionally give Klonoa boosts when he needs it. It's handy for helping out a newer player, but other than that there isn't a real multi-player mode. But that does not mean you don't have time to interact with the people around you. It's a single player game, but easy to transfer the control between players. Furthermore, I find it to be very pleasing to simply watch another person play.

I was also very pleased when the board-riding levels were added. They were my absolute favorite levels to play, hard to control, but very fast paced.

DESIGN

I thought that this game wasn't very much different than other platformer games. Other than the fact that you're on a 2D path when the rest of the world is in 3D. However, I thought the way you defeat enemies was quite innovative. Klonoa uses a magical ring that shoots out things called "wind bullets" they are short range, but they blow up an enemy like a balloon, and then you can carry them over your head to through into another enemy. Also Klonoa uses the blown up enemies as a means of "double jumping". I also like how certain enemies give off certain abilities. An enemy with wings might help carry Klonoa, and there is an electric based enemy that gives an electrical boost to Klonoa's double jump--helping him go even higher.

The overall story of the game is fairly simple. The same out hero comes to save the world kind of thing. But the game's creators do a good job of keeping the player in the dark, allowing the player to find out the history of the world as he or she continues playing. I think this is a great way to keep the player interested, assuming he or she wishes to find out what has happened to the peaceful world of Lunatea, and why all the kingdoms have sealed themselves off. I was surprised, there were quite a few cut scenes in this game, but move along the story very much. The language used is gibberish, and can get annoying at times.

New conflicts arise when there are bosses at the end of every kingdom, but also when Leoria, the sky pirate, comes along to stir up trouble. She wants to obtain Klonoa's ring for her own purposes. But the entire setting of the game is a conflict between reality and dreams.

This is fine, though the second entry ends a little abruptly. It feels like you meant to add more, but didn't. Still, this is a perfectly acceptable GameLog.

Amy Leek (grader)