When first hearing about this game, I have to admit that I first wondered if this was going to be some incredible blunder on the part of Atlus. A company known pretty much for JRP Gs creating a puzzle platformer with a big focus on the main character's relationship issues with two women and some horror elements? Fortunately, I can say that on the very first time I played this game, I was hooked.
That isn't to say that this is for everyone however. Atlus, a company known for the old school difficulty of its games, had to put a patch on the game when it first came out in Japan simply because the game was too hard for many. And even now, some might find the game too difficult even with the patch just because understanding how to move the blocks to move upward requires some changes in thinking about physics and understanding how block moving can interact with the structure you're scaling. Additionally, once or twice during the game, there were instances that I would call fake difficulty (mostly in the ice level) and so far as this troper could tell, there is no proper way to see behind the wall of the tower even if you're back there which can make things dangerous.
In terms of story, the majority of it receives little criticism from this troper but it would have been nice if more could have been done to show that Katherine and Vincent had a good relationship that was just going through a bad phase. It's also hard to tell exactly what conversation options you should have with other people who experience the dreams, which means that convincing them to keep trying is a chore.
But all that said, if you can get your head around it, this game is a gem. The types of blocks you use are creative, ranging from regular ones to black holes, spikey death blocks, living blocks, trampoline blocks and more. The levels are a challenge, but usually never unfair. The music is perfectly suited for the scenes, much of it is remixed classical music but still very strong and able to make you feel whatever the game wants. Visually the game is likewise very good, the characters all look exactly what their character should, the levels are all creative in different creepy ways and there are little extras available such as trivia on drinks and conversation choices that can give more backstory on other characters.
An Impressive Step for Atlus
When first hearing about this game, I have to admit that I first wondered if this was going to be some incredible blunder on the part of Atlus. A company known pretty much for JRP Gs creating a puzzle platformer with a big focus on the main character's relationship issues with two women and some horror elements? Fortunately, I can say that on the very first time I played this game, I was hooked.
That isn't to say that this is for everyone however. Atlus, a company known for the old school difficulty of its games, had to put a patch on the game when it first came out in Japan simply because the game was too hard for many. And even now, some might find the game too difficult even with the patch just because understanding how to move the blocks to move upward requires some changes in thinking about physics and understanding how block moving can interact with the structure you're scaling. Additionally, once or twice during the game, there were instances that I would call fake difficulty (mostly in the ice level) and so far as this troper could tell, there is no proper way to see behind the wall of the tower even if you're back there which can make things dangerous.
In terms of story, the majority of it receives little criticism from this troper but it would have been nice if more could have been done to show that Katherine and Vincent had a good relationship that was just going through a bad phase. It's also hard to tell exactly what conversation options you should have with other people who experience the dreams, which means that convincing them to keep trying is a chore.
But all that said, if you can get your head around it, this game is a gem. The types of blocks you use are creative, ranging from regular ones to black holes, spikey death blocks, living blocks, trampoline blocks and more. The levels are a challenge, but usually never unfair. The music is perfectly suited for the scenes, much of it is remixed classical music but still very strong and able to make you feel whatever the game wants. Visually the game is likewise very good, the characters all look exactly what their character should, the levels are all creative in different creepy ways and there are little extras available such as trivia on drinks and conversation choices that can give more backstory on other characters.
Definitely one that gets a recommendation.