beat door to phantomile, on the steam release. that might be up there as one of the most beautiful platformers, if not games i've ever played. what gets me is how humble it is about it, more than anything. from its first moment it's something that is more than happy to be there with you, with only that quote still sticking with you, wondering what it means. its a mystery that only grows with how deep you go in, with its adorable setpieces turning from cutesy minecart rides to scenic views of villages and tree canopies and waterfalls flowing backwards. its rare to see platformers carry such a scale of adventure outside of sonic 3 for me, and in any other game id call it unintentional.
its a deeply considered game is what you realize as you notice the past 6 hours have been you doing nothing but grabbing onto enemies and double jumping in constant new contexts and setpieces. klonoa handles fantastic and even by late game it never got old throwing enemies at each other and using them for quick platforming puzzles to navigate the levels and free the characters around. its rare to see platformers so thoroughly wring out such a central mechanic with the confident to stay unwavering to it throughout and still feel enjoyable and fresh, letting you feel the intrinsic mechanics of dealing with the dozens of unique enemy types.
(spoilers for door to phantomile ahead)
i always knew how this story would end, but what got me was how hard it hit even still, or how much worse theyd rub it in in every moment up to it. itd almost be comical in any other context how much it leans into the foreshadowing involving Klonoa being a dream with how often huapow almost outright spilling the beans to a klonoa going "yeah but i remember though :) we're friends forever i said so remember" multiple times as reality tears itself apart. and then the scene happens and fuck. that really was the last image you saw of that adorable bunny cat thing for years if you played it during its release. him screaming his lungs out for his only friend, barely recovering from having his only family die in his arms, after said friend promised their togetherness, as he gets ripped away into the fucking nothing. dreams are cruel things.
it has me excited to play the sequel, seeing the character grow and mature, accepting his almost tragic fate as this recurring dream, bound to save and help worlds in need, but still being a kid who knew nothing else but the lies given to him.
