This is right up there with Psychonauts for best game ever. It's a puzzle/platformer with emphasis on the platforming elements.

The puzzles are usually quite easy to figure out on your own, but sometimes quite difficult to enact. For instance, there's a level where you have to catch three frogs and destroy them before Monster catches you, and if you fail you start over from the beginning. It's the closest to dying you come in this game, but it's still quite frustrating.

I expected the story to be heart-rendingly moving, and I was still caught off-guard by it. It's that powerful.

One of my favorite things about this game is the setting. It looks like a favela if you look at it out of the corner of your eye, but if you explore and pay attention, you sink deep into the art and mood. It's one of the most fantastic and magical places that I've ever been in a game world. And just to emphasize this, you must revisit each level (except two of them) twice or sometimes three times, each time to do something different, and requiring a different perspective, which truly gives the city a sense of extent and volume. It's also so amazing the way nature and more magical eliminates insinuate themselves into the city, as if the city itself is invading something far older.

The mechanics of this game are also unique in a very well-thought-out way. For instance, most of the puzzles require you to rearrange the world itself, moving, stacking, and tipping the little shacks, and at one point, tipping the whole village on its side. This is the first game I've seen where you get the ability to make "long jumps" from another character (a rocket-propelled robot action figure named Lula) which can be detached from your character at will. Which means the game can take away your ability to jump far at any time, just to make the gameplay more interesting.

While I will say that this world drew me in so far, I didn't want to leave, and so felt a bit of withdrawal when the story ended after four hours, I can't help but note that the story arc is so smooth and coherent, it could not have been longer than it was. It ended exactly where and when it had to end. Given how little gaming time I have these days, it's probably best that it didn't take longer than it did.

Pros:
- Heart-rending story lovingly told
- Beautiful sets and models
- Clever game mechanics
- Just the right amount of frustration

Cons:
- The feeling of sadness slowly sinking into your soul the moment you beat the game and realize you must go back to real life now

Out of five, I'd give this game at least a seven.

This is right up there with Psychonauts for best game ever. It's a puzzle/platformer with emphasis on the platforming elements. The puzzles are usually quite easy to figure out on your own, but sometimes quite difficult to enact. For instance, there's a level where you have to catch three frogs and destroy them before Monster catches you, and if you fail you start over from the beginning. It's the closest to dying you come in this game, but it's still quite frustrating. I expected the story to be heart-rendingly moving, and I was still caught off-guard by it. It's that powerful. One of my favorite things about this game is the setting. It looks like a favela if you look at it out of the corner of your eye, but if you explore and pay attention, you sink deep into the art and mood. It's one of the most fantastic and magical places that I've ever been in a game world. And just to emphasize this, you must revisit each level (except two of them) twice or sometimes three times, each time to do something different, and requiring a different perspective, which truly gives the city a sense of extent and volume. It's also so amazing the way nature and more magical eliminates insinuate themselves into the city, as if the city itself is invading something far older. The mechanics of this game are also unique in a very well-thought-out way. For instance, most of the puzzles require you to rearrange the world itself, moving, stacking, and tipping the little shacks, and at one point, tipping the whole village on its side. This is the first game I've seen where you get the ability to make "long jumps" from another character (a rocket-propelled robot action figure named Lula) which can be detached from your character at will. Which means the game can take away your ability to jump far at any time, just to make the gameplay more interesting. While I will say that this world drew me in so far, I didn't want to leave, and so felt a bit of withdrawal when the story ended after four hours, I can't help but note that the story arc is so smooth and coherent, it could not have been longer than it was. It ended exactly where and when it had to end. Given how little gaming time I have these days, it's probably best that it didn't take longer than it did. Pros: - Heart-rending story lovingly told - Beautiful sets and models - Clever game mechanics - Just the right amount of frustration Cons: - The feeling of sadness slowly sinking into your soul the moment you beat the game and realize you must go back to real life now Out of five, I'd give this game at least a seven.