Wandersong, a puzzle-platformer by Greg Lobanov and Humble Bundle, was one of the games I played during my 12 Days of Gaming. And yes, I am just now getting to the review of it. This charming game is not usually my style of video games, but I decided to take a chance on it on the Switch.
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In Wandersong, you play as a Bard who learns that the world is ending. He decides to try and save the world by learning the Earthsong, which supposedly will allow the universe to be preserved.
This game is a rhythm game and a puzzle platformer put into one. You use your singing to communicate as well as to unlock powers and to use in your puzzles. As the game progresses, you need to channel your power of song in order to defeat evils and save the world. The progression of the game is well-done because as your progress through the game you learn new ways to use song to become stronger.
What I think is really special about this game is the stories and characters. The Bard is really special, because we follow his struggles of not being THE hero, but wanting to be a hero. Then there is Miriam, a witch with some personal struggles that partners with the Bard to save the world. And the antagonist of The Hero, the one who was chosen to do the “right” thing. Plus there is a full cast of additional characters that are unique and clever and fun additions.
For me, this game works really well with the Switch. Specifically, the singing action was easier on Switch than the one attempt I made on PC. I honestly can’t imagine playing this game and enjoying it on PC because of the mechanics. However, the game is not perfect. There are some weird bugs, like the playable characters having now art as you play them and some levels not fully loading right away. But, the developers are pretty on top of this and have a document with bugs and fixes that they tackle as reported. And none of the bugs I experienced ruined the game for me.
Overall, I find this a very charming, clever, and enjoyable game. It was definitely worth the playthrough, but I also don’t see myself playing it again. The story is my favorite part of the game, as it tackles the topic of following your heart, being kind, and that people, no matter how strong, have their struggles. This game would be great for kids to play, and as an adult, I enjoyed it too.
Have you played any games with stories you’ve enjoyed recently? Let me know with a comment.
This game looks really sweet, but it’s not the sort of thing I’d usually play. Possibly one to watch a playthrough of though!