Aaru's Awakening (2015)

Aaru's Awakening employs difficulty in ways unconsidered and illsuited to its design, leading to a game which does little but frustrate at every step.

There are already a ton of platformers to choose from on both of Sony's current home consoles, but the good news is that Aaru's Awakening is free to anyone with PlayStation Plus for the time being. If you fancy something artsy and with some challenging gameplay, then we think that you should consider giving it a shot. Everyone else will want to pass on this one.

Aaru's Awakening is a great example of how looks can deceive. Its gorgeous world and beautifully detailed environments are absolutely breathtaking, but the core gameplay that lies within leaves much to be desired.

All of this will likely be tremendously appealing to a particular sort of player, and Aaru's Awakening clearly deserves a certain recognition for putting its own twist on the unforgiving 2D platformer. But if you are going to enter this world, know that the extrinsic rewards are few. The challenge is really all there is. The gods give only what they will, and are unconcerned with whether mortals find it sufficient.

I loved the art style of Aaru's Awakening, I loved the story premise it had, and I loved teleporting. I did not love the rest of the gameplay decisions along the way.