Entwined

Entwined is a interesting twin-stick experiment easy to play but hard to master. A zen-experience that you might like if you enjoyed games such as Flower, Proteus and Flow. Too bad you can complete the Story mode in just one hour.

This is a lovely, gossamer experience that lifts you into the clouds and then quietly brings you back to earth, happy for the time spent, and your mind free of the detritus that originally cluttered it.

It's lovely and challenges gamers in an unusual way, but it is also hampered by an awkward (and possibly painful) control scheme and dropped frames.

A beautiful experience, but quite simple when it comes to gameplay. We appreciate it tries to deliver something different, which it does, but as a game it doesn't work that wall.

With the Dyad and Mizuguchi works as a core base, Entwined takes a peep at thatgamecompany masterpieces and tries to be as spiritual and poetic as Jenova Chen's works, and remains behind them, although in some moments almost scratches their surface. Constantly poetic, always metaphoric, this artsy experience has its flaws -some windows patterns too complicated considering the audience this game aims for, always the same routine in all levels-, but it's indeed a short dream to take us away from reality for the couple of hours we are going to be playing it.

Entwined is a worthy game, despite its short lifespan. As the first PixelOpus studio's work, it's strong enough to give the team a good compliment. Small technical issues don't weigh down a superb design and soundtrack.

A missed opportunity. Entwined could have been something extra special, but is ultimately forgettable instead. [September 2014, p74]

Entwined is an interesting experiment, with a compelling tale, clever gameplay and great visuals. The execution is however lacking and the gameplay feels too clunky for its own good.

By borrowing ideas from Rez and Frequency, Entwined offers a "chill-out" experience that can be difficult and challenging at times.

Entwined's too simple to be satisfying, and not thematically deep enough to be interesting.

A disappointingly bare-bones color-matching game that doesn't measure up to its artsy promise.

Entwined has clear objectives and an overall goal, but the reward for "beating" it isn't points or a trophy, it's a sense of serenity and peace. It's certainly not for everyone, but to those who find the idea appealing, it utterly succeeds.

It’s a fun little game with some gorgeous visual and musical style, but it fails to evoke the emotional core that similar games like Journey and Flower were able to. The challenging gameplay and the musical score may be enough for some players, but those in search of more depth will need to look elsewhere.

There's a wonderful nugget at its core, but the final product, when all features and factors combine, never shines enough to recommend it without a series of caveats.

While its skin-deep qualities suggest something artistic and maybe a little philosophical, this middling arcade game packs not enough wallop to be worth more than a bit of a shrug. While not awful, it's certainly not intriguing enough to maintain interest even in spite of a brief running time.

Entwined is a shallow experiment, with dull mechanics and frustrating controls. Its somewhat luscious visuals simply aren't enough.

Bold and beautiful but also irritatingly broken, it's a disappointingly flawed experience. [Sept 2014, p.79]

If we had got to know Entwined before his announcement and immediate release, we probably would have called it a broken promise. Because the idea of basing the gameplay on a Chinese myth is exciting, but the execution in this case is pretty disappointing.

Entwined’s experimental nature reminds me of similar games that I’ve enjoyed, but there’s always a “minus” in the comparison; it’s like Journey minus the community, like Flower minus the message, like Rez minus the action. It is a stylish feast for the eyes and ears, but one that ultimately leaves you hungry.

The concept is the most intriguing part of Entwined. Everything else is rather bland.

Feels oddly hollow. [Aug 2014, p.94]

If you really love this type of game (tunnel/artistic), you may enjoy Entwined. But I ended up hating the mechanics, and that ruined the experience for me. The emotions didn’t come through, and the colorful visuals didn’t make up for it.

Sadly, Entwined never manages to deliver much beyond art and beauty.

It's easy to be hypnotized by stunning graphics in Entwined, but the campaign is unvarying, the music is not in sync and the best segments of the game are also the shortest, unfortunately. Great looks aren't an excuse for a otherwise mediocre game.

We expected Entwined to be an intense, atmospheric experience, but the game definitely failed to deliver.

It’s a shame that poor execution lets Entwined down so badly. The themes being explored here have the potential to be touching and are, unquestionably, underrepresented in videogames.