Disclaimer
I was sent a free copy of Manairons to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
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Table of Contents
What is Manairons?
Manairons is a 3D puzzle adventure game out now on on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and coming soon to the Nintendo Switch. The game is Steam Deck verified for those wondering, and it works very well!
Hook
The village of Vilamont is a peaceful one, full of industrious people but also the greedy landlord Llorenç. Llorenç used his influence to find an ancient magical artifact, the “canut”. Using the canut’s magic, Llorenç summons a legion of Manairons to work tireless for him. Almost overnight, the Manairons warp the sleepy town of Vilamont into an overindustrialized machine. One Manairon is able to break free of this spell. With the help from the mysterious witch Nai and a magical flute, our lone Manairon hero must brave Llorenç influence and break his spell. Solve puzzles, fight off possed Manairons, and enjoy a bit of rest here and there. Can our brave hero break the spell and free the Vilamont from Llorenç?
Gameplay
Players control the Manairon through differently themed levels in a wimsical 3D action adventure with fixed cameras. The world of Pyrenees is full of creative puzzles to solve, platforms to clear, and enemies to beat up. Combat in Manairon is simple. You can lock onto enemies, and hit them with your trusty flute. Players get a block and a ranged attack, but the flute is the only thing strong enough to knock out the possessed manairons. All levels build up to creative boss fights. The game also has a collection of scattered items to collect. Can you collect them all before finishing the game?
Review
I absolutely love Manairon, and recommend it to everyone. Manairon is such a cute game with solid mechanics and a great story. If you are a fan of those old school action adventure games, or are just looking for something fun and cute to play, check out Manairon!
Aesthetic
I was first drawn to Manairons because I like the art. I normally don’t play these types of platformers because of how bad I am at them, but the art is so good, I was willing to try. The character design is cute, but I love how the artists go out of their way to create such a cool fantasy. Each level has a unique theme that is more breathtaking than the last, and the attention to detail that goes into the world building is remarkable. It also has a fantastic soundtrack and voice acting that make the experience addicting. I would recommend Manairon for the art alone, but the story is fantastic!
Story
Manairons is a fantastic example of how good video games are at telling stories. This is one of the few times where I couldn’t put the game down because I was so invested in the events that were unfolding. It helps that there is voice acting to help me get swept away by the storytelling. If you like fantasy adventure, Manairons is a fantastic addition to your collection.
Performance
The game has its bugs, and a few of them are gamebreaking. I had a couple of crashes, and there were a few times where the character just gets stuck. Other than that, the performance is fine. Platforming feels good, combat is responsive, and I was able to finish the story without any issue.
Gameplay
When I pick up a platformer, there is always the worry that my lack of skill will keep me from enjoying the game. As far as platformers go, this is very manageable. I wouldn’t say its a kids platformer like Spongebob: The Cosmic Shake or the Smurfs, but I wouldn’t say it is Shovel Knight either. Manairon finds a good balance of challenging puzzles, platforming, and combat without getting frustrating to allow players to enjoy the world and its story. Not that you can’t enjoy a hard platformer if that’s your thing, I just prefer it to be manageable.
What makes this game special is the different worlds that make up the level. Each monster, challenge, and boss is full of flavor. Even though the mechanics are simple and a lot of the loops repeat, the game doesn’t feel repetitive. Every level and stage feels fresh, especially when there are fun and creative puzzles in between.
Conclusion
Manairons is a whimsical fantasy adventure everyone needs to go on once. There are a few bugs I am sure can be fixed, but nothing that will ruin the fun story or the cute world players get to explore. If you are looking for one game to play this year, check out Manairons on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and coming soon to the Nintendo Switch.
If you would your looking for a more challenging kind of plaformer, check out Forgotten Fragments, or check out Worldless for the most unique platformer you’ll ever get to play.