Obviously I wouldn’t have bought this game if I didn’t think I was gonna like it, but it turned out to be a surprisingly good puzzle platformer. Granted, I was hoping for more of an adventure game. Elli has strong Legend of Zelda vibes, not only in its screenshots but in the actual gameplay. You’ll frequently enter a room where the door slams shut behind you, and the only way to proceed is to figure out how to find something that you can put on a switch to open the next door. While that probably sounds pretty rote, there are some clever puzzle moments throughout, and the platforming is more involved than what you would get in a typical Zelda outing. I also love how the whole game has zero combat, though there are enough other hazards that I wouldn’t necessarily call this a casual or relaxing experience.
That said, the game is still fairly easy overall. I only died a handful of times, and you’re never put very far back when you do die. The only section of the game I struggled with was the dark dungeon that takes places at the halfway mark. It’s a little too purposefully dark, making it hard to see the next ledge. I was also disappointed with how linear the game ultimately is. You’re given no allowance to backtrack, so if you didn’t collect enough money to buy every wardrobe upgrade along the way, then… sucks to be you. But there’s no achievement for doing so, anyway, which is another thing this game is sorely missing. These are nit-picky complaints, though. Elli is a great “budget” platformer that’ll actually last longer than most $15 games of the same nature.
Reviewer
- I love gaming so much, I wrote a book about it.
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