Developer: Monkey Craft
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series – Review
One cannot help but feel old when realizing the first Klonoa game was released all the way back in 1997. The Klonoa series was loved by many, but for some reason, outside of two mainstream games, we only saw several spin-offs being released over the decades that followed after the first game was released. Sadly, outside of a remaster of the first game in 2008, which was then released on Wii, it seemed like we would never see the franchise revived on modern platforms. Now, however, Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series has been released for all major platforms. While this ‘new’ release only contains remasters of the first two main games, it might just be enough to get a new generation hooked on these great and colorful platformer games.
Story
The plot in both Klonoa games is pretty similar. Klonoa basically has to save the world with his unique powers, and that’s as far as the basic plot goes. Both games take place in different dream worlds, which are being threatened by an evil presence. Stories such as these were very common for games that were originally released in the 90s or early 2000s. Nonetheless, the Klonoa games don’t shy away from adding a few serious undertones to its stories, such as the loss of an important character. Compared to many other platformer games, the story does feel a lot more serious due to adding things such as this.
Graphics
Graphically it’s clear that this collection contains remasters and not remakes. The two games look ready for the current generation, but you can also see their somewhat dated foundation underneath it all. Nonetheless, both Klonoa titles in this bundle look very attractive and colorful, and they boast a cast of wonderful characters. We loved seeing the different backdrops for each of the different areas. Only during the cutscenes did we truly see how old these games really are, and this was mainly due to awkward character movements.
Sound
The sound design of these games is still superb after all these years. The soundtracks of both titles are upbeat and very catchy, and you’ll find yourself bopping your head to the beats of the tunes. The characters all speak a sort of gibberish during dialogues, but sometimes you can make out actual words. That being said, some characters sound a bit distorted compared to others, and we’re not sure if this was also the case in the original games.
Gameplay
Both Klonoa games that are bundled together in Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series are traditional action platformer games. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile will have you play through fairly short levels in which you can grab your opponents and throw them at others, or use them to perform a double jump. Other than that, you’ll be submitted to platforming sections and a few minor puzzles. Every two stages, you’ll encounter a boss and these often follow fixed patterns. Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil builds upon the foundation of the first game, and adds a few small new mechanics. As a whole, these titles are very similar.
Truth be told, both games are very straightforward, but they did have a few extreme difficulty spikes when they were originally released. Some platforming sections prove to be tough as nails, and sometimes the boss battles can also prove to be very tricky. Nonetheless, this newly remastered version of both games includes a lower (and higher) difficulty setting that might make those segments a bit easier. If you play on Easy mode, you’ll take less damage when hit and you will also have an infinite number of lives at your disposal. On top of that, the games also have a co-op mode, but this mainly involves giving the second player the power to give you a powerful boosted jump. In many cases, during our playthrough, we referred to this as the ‘cheat jump’ as it can make you access certain parts of the map without needing enemies to perform a double jump. In countless situations, it also saved us from falling into the abyss.
Conclusion
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a great collection for gamers who played the original games, but also for younger gamers or fans of platformers. The new difficulty levels are fun for children and the co-op feature is a nice touch if you wish to play together with a friend or with your kids. We very much enjoyed seeing the games in their remastered form, and we do hope this paves the way for a new game release. This one is basically a no-brainer if you like platformers.
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