Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

A wonderful collection of two of the best 2.5D platformers out there. The colors are super vibrant, and Klonoa’s model has been updated veryA wonderful collection of two of the best 2.5D platformers out there. The colors are super vibrant, and Klonoa’s model has been updated very nicely in both games. The platforming is just as good if not better than the originals, and the difficulty select was a very nice and welcome addition.
The heartwarming and heartwrenching story is as timeless as the gameplay, and I was crying tears of joy and despair as I made my way through these classics all over again. I even managed to get to the extra visions, which were a very good challenge and a nice reward for getting all the collectables.
The only thing keeping it from being a 10 is a couple odd choices. The use of the original PS1 compressed audio for Door to Phantomile was odd, but and alright choice given the nostalgia factor. What isn’t an alright choice was the odd mix of the Wii remake’s re-recorded Phantomilian audio for some very specific moments. It was rather distracting as someone who’s played both versions.
The other two nitpicks I have is the first game’s final boss model being a little lacking compared to all the others. That and the fact that Door to Phantomisle is based off the Wii version to a fault. It’s a gorgeous version and the environments look great, but some elements suffer because of it. Mainly the cutscenes, especially the ending. The pre-rendered cutscenes from the PS1 game had a bit more heart and effort, but it’s understandable given the nature of the Wii remake and the possible low budget. There were a few minor bugs, such as the game freezing for a half second, but nothing major or gamebreaking. (I am playing on an original PS4 and played Day 1 before patches).
The Klonoa 2 remaster, on the other hand, was flawless for me. The addition of speeding up and/or skipping cutscenes makes repeated playthroughs very comfortable. This is the definitive version of Klonoa 2 for me.
All in all, I am extremely happy that Klonoa has made a return and I dearly hope he is here to stay. If you haven’t had a chance to play these games yet, do yourself a favor and play them through the Phantasy Reverie Series.
Wahoo!… Expand