Mable and the Wood (2019)

As usual, I find myself wanting to like games which just straight up annoy the shit out of me. There are some nice ideas here but I just got too frustrated after a while trying to get past sections which were just so much trickier than others, and required a lot of swapping of powers, and pulling off what amounted to combos of moves I just couldn't swing with.

I greatly look forward to speedruns of this title, as with its unique method of control and ability to skip bosses and enemies, the strategies runners will devise to get a good time in this will be interesting. It took me around two hours to complete a run, but with subsequent playthroughs, I’m sure someone will cook up something more impressive. Ultimately, I’d say the $15 Mable asks for could be trimmed to something a little slimmer for what one playthrough would provide, but for those who are interested in these kinds of “multiple run” games, I can totally see them being fine with the $15 price point. Mable takes a unique look at a kind of boss rush genre, and provides enough to make it differentiate itself from the rest.

Mable and the Wood is a beautifully made gave that imbues a classic premise with new layers of depth.

It's such a shame Mable & The Wood can't back up its interesting premise and impressive visuals with engaging gameplay. It's a unique take on the shapeshifting concept, to be sure, but navigating the environment is more frustrating than it is fun. There's a nice variety of boss encounters that keep the experience feeling relatively fresh, but overall, this is one Metroidvania that fails to live up to the hype.

Mable & the Wood had a lot going for it: the promise of a Metroidvania, a slew of interesting mechanics, and a decent storyline. But the final product isn't worth your time or the asking price (even with a launch discount).