"Entwined" is kind of an interesting game to review. On one hand it is a fun and beautiful experience. On the other it's incredibly brief"Entwined" is kind of an interesting game to review. On one hand it is a fun and beautiful experience. On the other it's incredibly brief length and lack of variety make it not worth the purchase for the majority of gamers. It's definitely a game for those looking for a memorable experience rather than a complete gameplay package.
The area where the game soars is in it's presentation. The graphics are gorgeous, particularly on home consoles due to the larger screen, and the soundtrack is soothing. The game tries to establish some sort of emotional connection with the layer with it's story about love taking place over lifetimes even though the lovers are separated, but due to how underplayed it all is it falls short. Still it's attempts at being artsy and deep to a game that is both pleasant to look at and listen to.
The gameplay experience consists of controlling two characters at once with the analog sticks and guiding them through rings. Along the way you'll have to pick up gems in order to fuse the two characters into a dragon. Once that happens you'll fly around an open with somewhat awkward controls collecting more gems. It sounds boring, but it's actually a pretty entertaining experience. However that is mostly due to how beautiful the levels themselves are, rather than the simplistic gameplay itself. With only nine brief levels there isn't much content in the story mode. The real meat of the game comes from the challenge mode. However it too is also quite brief.
In the challenge mode you are given three lives and left to last as long as you can flying through the rings. Get a high enough score and the next level opens up. It's a straightforward experience. It's the mode you want to play is you are looking to get the most out of Entwined, but it's also where you notice how tedious the gameplay can be. In the story mode you are distracted by gorgeous graphics and how brief the overall experience is. In challenge mode when you are actually trying to go for a highscore and the threat of death is actually present (I'm pretty sure you can't die in story mode) you notice how bland it all actually is.
It's safe to say Entwined has a lot of flaws. The biggest one being it's length, or lack thereof. It can be beaten in an hour or two and the challenge mode doesn't do much to extend the game's lifespan. Still there is something here worth experiencing to the right audience. It's more of an artistic experience than a satisfying game, but there are people out there who are looking for that. I definitely don't regret playing it, but had I not have gotten it for free I would have definitely regretted paying for it. Those looking for enough gameplay content to back up their purchase should look elsewhere, but those looking to see just how beautiful and meaningful themes of the medium can be should check this out. However even they might be disappointed with how little they are getting for the price tag. A shame considering the game is only $9.99.… Expand