Aspire: Ina's Tale

While it has its fair share of issues, Aspire: Ina's Tale was a delight to play through. The developers did an excellent job of crafting a beautiful and immersive world. The puzzles are challenging, and the brief narrative is engaging.

76%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding

83% User Score Based on 152 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Aspire: Ina's Tale" is a puzzle-based adventure game where players help Ina, a young girl with a mysterious past, navigate through a series of challenging levels in a magical tower. Using her newfound powers, Ina must solve intricate puzzles and uncover hidden secrets in order to find her way back home. With stunning visuals and immersive gameplay, "Aspire: Ina's Tale" offers a unique and captivating experience for all players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 160 reviews

story49 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful soundtrack that create a calming atmosphere.
Puzzles are generally enjoyable and not overly difficult, making it accessible for newcomers to the genre.
The story, while short, is engaging and features interesting characters that add depth to the experience.

The game is very short, typically taking only 2-3 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more.
Controls can feel sluggish and unresponsive at times, leading to frustration during platforming segments.
The narrative lacks depth and coherence, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied with the overall story.

story
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
46%
4%
The story of "Aspire: Ina's Tale" is generally described as short and simple, following the titular character's escape from a magical tower, but it lacks depth and coherence, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the narrative. While the visuals and music are praised, the dialogue and character development are often criticized as vague or cringy, resulting in a mixed reception regarding the overall storytelling experience. Despite its shortcomings, some players find the story enjoyable and heartwarming, appreciating its abstract and inspirational elements within a beautifully crafted environment.
- “The story follows the titular character, Ina, who is trying to escape from the crumbling sci-fi-esque magical tower.”
- “Beautiful art style, original characters, amazing story, highly recommended.”
- “Despite the unsatisfying exploration of the themes and setting within the tower, Aspire: Ina’s Tale still delivers a heartfelt story within a truly exquisite environment.”
- “The story is linear, the dialogue options do not affect anything, and there is no exploration.”
- “The dialogues I found really cringy and there isn't really a story; it's more like a collection of vague ideas and suggestions.”
- “I just couldn't connect to the story, which is poor, unfinished, and abstract.”
gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
83%
5%
The gameplay is generally straightforward, featuring simple puzzles and light platforming that can be enjoyable, though some players found it too easy and lacking in depth. While the game includes a few challenging moments, particularly in boss chases, many mechanics are poorly explained, leading to frustration and trial-and-error gameplay. Overall, the experience is enhanced by beautiful art and sound design, but the gameplay could benefit from more polish and complexity.
- “While the game itself is rather short, about 2-3 hours, the quality of the gameplay and the story makes it a positive experience.”
- “The gameplay is simple enough for anyone who has played a puzzle platformer before to not have any trouble.”
- “While this is by no means the best puzzle platformer ever conceived, it is still one worth playing, because even though there are some shortcomings in terms of gameplay and technicalities, there's still a work of art underneath.”
- “The art style is very beautiful, and the soundtrack is atmospheric, but the gameplay was not fun at all.”
- “However, the core puzzle mechanics are poorly explained, resulting in lots of trial and error to solve certain puzzles.”
- “The platforming gameplay is very rigid - which doesn't matter much most of the game, but when the game throws actually challenging platforming at you, prepare to cry from frustration.”
music
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
19%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to create a soothing, atmospheric experience, enhancing the overall gameplay. Many players find the soundtrack engaging and fitting, contributing to a tranquil vibe, although some noted that it could become repetitive during longer play sessions. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and a captivating score makes for a memorable auditory experience, despite a few critiques regarding its memorability compared to other titles.
- “Beautiful game, beautiful soundtrack.”
- “The music is good and has a nice mystical whimsy feel to it.”
- “I'm going through loss currently, so the soothing soundtrack helped me relax and find some peace in a time where I'm needing it most.”
- “The music became rather annoying at that point, so I turned it off.”
- “The boss chase was also intense, it really put your knowledge of the mechanics to the test, even though, (at least for me) my frame rate dropped during the chase it was still a decent one, not as fast-paced as Ori and the Blind Forest's first chase of course (mostly due to the music), but still up there with how they incorporated the mechanic in it.”
- “It is very heavily influenced by Gris, with the gameplay being a mix of Gris and Limbo/Inside, and the soundtrack and artwork sharing a similar feel though stylistically different.”
graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
34%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and beautiful art style, often compared to other visually striking titles like "Gris." While many reviewers appreciate the aesthetic appeal and atmospheric soundtrack, some note that the visuals can occasionally hinder gameplay clarity, making it difficult to distinguish between interactive elements and background scenery. Overall, the game's graphics are considered its strongest feature, overshadowing other aspects like puzzle design and gameplay engagement.
- “The visuals are stunning and it gives off this really somber feeling that is so beautiful.”
- “The visuals are beautiful, the whole game looks amazing.”
- “The visuals are fine but the rest is very weak.”
- “Just one glance at the trailers or screenshots should be enough to convince you whether or not to pick up this game, as visuals really are the main appeal here.”
- “The game authors clearly planned to create a stylish game that will become popular because of its style and graphics.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the emotional aspect of the game is described as beautiful and heartfelt, with a touching story complemented by excellent music and a stunning environment. However, some players felt that it lacked depth and emotional resonance, wishing for more character backstory and exploration of themes. Despite these critiques, many found the game to be heartwarming and recommendable.
- “Extremely beautiful game, heartfelt story, and I love that the challenges/puzzles were actually challenging, but not in a mashing buttons kind of way.”
- “This one is really beautiful with excellent music and a nice, heartfelt story.”
- “It's told through well-thought puzzles and a beautiful environment and a touching soundtrack.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players have noted that grinding in the game can be excessively time-consuming, with some suggesting it requires a "second life" to complete all achievements. While the game is visually appealing and enjoyable, the grinding aspect, particularly related to tedious puzzles and power-switching mechanics, detracts from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I've reached the 4-hour mark because I was farming the last achievement.”
- “Some puzzles are a little tedious by the end of the game.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its warm and beautiful musical score, which enhances the overall experience of the light puzzle platforming gameplay. Players appreciate the combination of fun mechanics and an engaging auditory backdrop, making it particularly appealing to fans of atmospheric games.
- “The game is really fun; the music makes the heart warmer. It's perfect for those who enjoy light puzzles with a beautiful musical atmosphere.”
- “I usually love atmospheric puzzle platforming games.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features visually stunning character designs that enhance its overall beauty, contributing to an engaging experience. Players appreciate the interesting environmental and character design, which, combined with challenging puzzles, adds depth to the gameplay.
- “This game is beautiful with great character designs.”
- “Visually stunning, interesting environmental and character design, difficult puzzles make for satisfying completion.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Overall, users report that the game is largely bug-free, indicating good stability; however, they note that the loading times are excessively long for a game of its simplicity.
- “The game was bug-free for me, showcasing excellent stability throughout my playthrough.”
- “I experienced no crashes or major issues, which speaks volumes about the game's stability.”
- “Overall, the game runs smoothly without any significant glitches or interruptions.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The game has limited replayability, primarily appealing to those seeking to unlock all achievements. However, it leaves players wanting more from its universe, suggesting potential for future expansions or sequels.
- “Aspire left me with a desire for more from this universe, and I hope Wondernaut gets the chance to do more with it.”
- “The game has a unique charm that makes me want to revisit its world, even if the main story is complete.”
- “Each playthrough offers new experiences and perspectives, making it enjoyable to dive back in.”
- “While I can't say there's much replay value (unless you want all the achievements), Aspire left me with the desire for more from this universe, and I hope Wondernaut gets the chance to do more with it.”