It’s not often that I get hooked on a game. I’m way more likely to get hooked on a book. The games in the past that have sucked me in are pretty limited: World of Warcraft (still a favorite), Luigi’s Mansion 3, and Rayman Legends. But those games appealed mostly because of the multiplayer aspect. It was more fun to be playing with Cassidy, something we could enjoy together.
Now I find myself obsessing over a single player game. GASP! I’m going to lose my #NotAGamer status!
Ary and the Secret of Season is a little Zelda-ish I suppose, though I can’t say for sure as I’ve not played one. You play as Aryanna (she constantly corrects people that her name is Ary!) who quickly takes on her father’s role as guardian of Winter. It should be her brother’s job, but he is missing and presumed dead. The seasons in this world are all screwy and you’re off on a quest to put them right.
I appreciate some of the humor in this game.
The coolest mechanic in the game is the ability to create Season Spheres. In this world, each region is supposed to only have a certain season all the time: Yule=winter, Ostara=spring, Lammastide=summer, and Samhain=fall. Because of the Evil Mage, all the seasons are messed up and as you journey through the world, you start to correct them, region by region. While you’re doing that, you can cast Season Spheres that shift the area inside them to be another season. Winter spheres often reveal ice platforms you can jump on, fall can reveal water to swim through, spring usually dries up deep water, and summer melts away snow and ice.
The quests and temples are fairly linear, which I appreciate. I’m enjoying the challenge, but about halfway through it starts to get harder. It usually takes me a bit to figure out what I’m supposed to do on the tricky parts, and another longer bit to actually do it.
For instance, the Autumn Temple where I often needed to have 3 active Spheres in a section to avoid falling to my doom on spikes while rolling a giant boulder across an ice platform. Figuring out puzzles like these is what I really enjoy about the game and makes up for some of the technique challenges.
I’m not an exceptional platformer and there have been times where I call Cassidy over to help. By that point, I know exactly where it wants me to jump to, but I have died attempting it 10 or more times. One of my gaming flaws is that I don’t quite have the persistence to try until I get it, especially when it is a matter of precision. When I can tell that I need to use a different mechanic or figure out a different route, I’m willing to keep at it.
I really liked how this story ends, but I won’t spoiler you because I’d love to share it with you next time you come in.
If you would like to see other games we recommend, be sure to check them out here!
