This game feels like a weird spinoff just to knock you out with an important reveal in third act, catching you off-guard and wondering "why".

If you played earlier mainline games of this franchise, you probably expect it to be next adventure of Neil and Eva, but this game shatters this kind of expectations. To be honest, for majority of this playthrough I felt like this game won't introduce this pair... And frankly, it doesn't do it in "normal" sense.

Can't talk about it without spoilers so let's just say instead of operating on simulations this game is about, hm, new worlds? At least I understood it as entirely new worlds that work beyond our comprehension, stacked one on another so much you won't know what is real. Sounds complicated? It is. I feel like it is way too overcomplicated for sake of being deeper than it should be and don't know what developers will have to do to make it clear. It is way too ambitious I feel, and not the best next step from "we help old people simulate they dreams!". But maybe that's just me. I don't consider the revelations and epilogue satisfying, I simply don't buy this.

How about feelings? They try hard, however it did not hit as much as earlier titles. Not that it's bad, it's just more predictable and you can imagine what happens pretty quickly. Ending was bitter-sweet, that's true, although whole story is linked with that revelation I wrote about earlier and me not being satisfied with it is a reason I consider it as weakest part of the series. Music is good, dialogues are good, we can finally run (HOORAY!) and it's looking adorable as always, but I don't think it was a step in the right direction when it comes to narration.

I still had my fun playing this and I'm sure Freebird Games will make a "proper" 3rd game a great adventure, I just simply hope their next masterpiece will have more "Finding Paradise & To the Moon factor". And if not... well, in that case I'll be the one with Impostor Syndrome.

7/10


This review was possible thanks to duhnuhnuh and their Perpetual Steam Game Giveaway. Thanks again!