Murasaki Baby

 PlayStation Vita
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Sep 16, 2014
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 70 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 70
  3. Negative: 10 out of 70

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  1. Storm1672
    Sep 16, 2014
    8
    Murasaki Baby has disappointed us with its duration, at about 2 hours and also costing 10 euros. If you are willing to bypass that and you are the kind of gamer that is interested in originality, prepare to see something trully unique and artsy.

    Overally, the package has a continuous atmosphere and its gameplay ideas are crafted from the nightmares and dreams of the little kids. The    Murasaki Baby has disappointed us with its duration, at about 2 hours and also costing 10 euros. If you are willing to bypass that and you are the kind of gamer that is interested in originality, prepare to see something trully unique and artsy.

    Overally, the package has a continuous atmosphere and its gameplay ideas are crafted from the nightmares and dreams of the little kids. The game does everything to put you in a position so as to care for the Baby, while the Baby itself is one of the most adorable video game characters ever. You will want to protect her at any cost, while the immediacy of the touch controls makes you a part of it.

    If it had twice the content and lasted at least 4 hours, we would be talking about one of the best PS Vita titles. Nonetheless, along with Tearaway, this is probably the best usage of the Vita features.    … Expand
  2. abi_abhiabi
    Jun 8, 2015
    9
    i really enjoyed this game. it is fully a touch game except for one section. the game is too short but enjoyable. got it from ps plus. it had a save glitch so i need to complete the game in one sitting. that is the only cons here. otherwise the game is definitely worth a try! 9/10..
  3. Davidscj
    Nov 25, 2015
    8
    Murasaki Baby is more interactive story book than game. And that is a great thing. You guide the baby through the game on a journey to find her mother, a common theme in children story books. Along the way you meet a host of characters who act as plot points and distractions along this well told story structure (see the Gruffalo for a similar modern structure). This is effective, albeitMurasaki Baby is more interactive story book than game. And that is a great thing. You guide the baby through the game on a journey to find her mother, a common theme in children story books. Along the way you meet a host of characters who act as plot points and distractions along this well told story structure (see the Gruffalo for a similar modern structure). This is effective, albeit simplistic story telling. Where Murasaki Baby thrives is in its visual presentation and its characterisation. The characters you meet along your journey are so unique and memorable and that makes this game a real success.

    The game is gorgeous and dark. The world and character design is the thing of nightmares, Tim Burton-esque. Characters faces are upside down, yet their hair remains on top. It is unique, bold and extremely atmospheric. The world is dark and scary with colour primarily being limited to the various backgrounds which the player can change. This all in combination with the sound creates a sublime atmosphere.

    The gameplay is simple and effective. You physically guide the Baby through the adventure. This is done by physically holding her hand with the touch screen and pulling her along. Quite frankly a brilliant idea that is well executed. This creates a connection immediately between you and the Baby and the way she reacts to each pull is technically brilliant. You must guide Baby through the world and keep her purple balloon safe from harm, if your balloon bursts that is the end of you. The game throws obstacles and puzzles in the way to danger your balloon and it is your job to safely guide the Baby and Balloon to safety which is not always that easy.

    The main other element of gameplay is changing the environment of the world by swapping the worlds background, by use of the back touchscreen. This gives different effect to the world such as wind, ice rain, and many more crazy alterations. This is used primarily to solve the puzzles along the way in a typical 2d puzzle platform fashion. The puzzle solving is very basic but is effective visually and is varied. It its core this game is easy and that is not a bad thing is you see this game as effectively an interactive storybook, if you're looking for a challenging puzzler this is not it. This is a charming two hour story that is totally worth your time as long as your expectations are not unrealistic.    … Expand
  4. DYEGameBro
    Jul 24, 2015
    9
    Murasaki Baby is a strange little beast, a puzzle-platformer developed by Italian studio Ovonsonico exclusively for Sony’s Vita platform. It’s a game that is as unique as you will find, with a tone that feels like the love child of Tim Burton & Lewis Carroll with the colour palette of an old sketched children’s book.

    Our little protagonist ‘Baby’ as she is known is quite unlike anything    Murasaki Baby is a strange little beast, a puzzle-platformer developed by Italian studio Ovonsonico exclusively for Sony’s Vita platform. It’s a game that is as unique as you will find, with a tone that feels like the love child of Tim Burton & Lewis Carroll with the colour palette of an old sketched children’s book.

    Our little protagonist ‘Baby’ as she is known is quite unlike anything else out out there. She is a seemingly malformed nightmare child that wouldn’t seem out of place in Alice in Wonderland or a Brothers Grimm tale. She also has a lot of personality for a character with no actual dialogue. I love how her expressions can be just as strong through the eyes and little gasps or garbled noises she makes.

    The premise is simple, we must guide ‘Baby’ back home, aided only by our little love heart balloon and itchy trigger fingers on the Vita’s touchscreen. Murasaki Baby utilises the Vita’s touchpad in such a fantastic way, you won’t control anything in this game by the D-pad or right buttons, and it works flawlessly. You guide Baby literally by holding her hand with your index finger through each level. You help her jump over ledges, tap out enemies as well as flip between backgrounds that drastically change the game’s dynamic with the Vita’s rear touchpad . This is a puzzle platformer through and through with each background we flip causing different things to appear or creating new actions that can be performed. For instance, jumping between ledges may require quick flicks of the touchpad to create new ledges and a sharp memory to remember which background will create our next step. Everything from causing thunderstorms to controlling a huge beast to wreak havoc with mini earthquakes are present, and this creates a really cool dynamic in the game, especially when all these elements begin to intertwine later in the game.

    Director Massimo Guarini (Shadows of The damned, Killer7) nails a truly unique setting and atmosphere. The theme of protector is strong, and as a player you genuinely feel compelled to help guide Baby back to safety through the dark surroundings and shadows that linger around her. It’s also a land of enemies and sights that remind me of what scared me as a child and I really love how the game struck a chord like that for me , even if it is a creepy one.

    Another standout feature of the game is the unsettling, yet intricate score by Gianni Ricciardi and Silent Hill’s Akira Yamaoka. It is tense, dark and foreboding and superbly supports the tone and sense of immersion. Like a lot of cool indie games of late (Child of Light, Journey and Hohokum spring to mind) it is a better score than most AAA games on the market right now. Overall, Murasaki Baby is a little indie gem for Sony’s underrated handheld. It’s a game that feels like director Guarini has left it’s underlying themes of loss and despair up to individual interpretation. It certainly hit me in a personal way and I’m sure it will for you too.

    www.doyouevengamebro.net    … Expand
  5. Mr_Eleganto
    Jul 20, 2020
    8
    This little project is really special! I can give this game "must play", because of lvl design, sound design, creative ideas (omg, ending is mind-blowing), visualisation and finally unique game experience. This game is hidden gem. Story, without a word.

Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best PS Vita Game of 2014
26
#26 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 48
  3. Negative: 2 out of 48
  1. PSNStores
    Jan 7, 2015
    90
    This might not be something that I go back to often, but it’s left me satisfied in a way that not many games do.
    Read full review
  2. The Digital Fix
    Nov 18, 2014
    70
    It’s yet another example of the kind of game that could only come from a small studio willing to take risks, and it’s to the game’s credit that it leaves you wanting for more rather than overstaying its welcome – but the missed potential of what could have been will dominate your thoughts once you’re done.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    Nov 17, 2014
    60
    It's a shame that the game is occasionally let down by its control scheme because it is anything but derivative and its visuals, excellent sound design, and mechanics can coalesce to create moments of real impact. [Issue#154, p.126]
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