Glimmer in Mirror
- January 9, 2023
- MapleDorm Games
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Glimmer in Mirror" is a story-driven puzzle adventure game that takes you through a series of surreal and abstract landscapes. You play as a character exploring their own memories and confronting their past, using a lantern to reveal hidden truths. The game features unique puzzle mechanics, atmospheric visuals, and a haunting soundtrack.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a charming art style that captivates players.
- The soundtrack is relaxing and fits well with the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
- The combat mechanics, while simple, are enjoyable and the bosses provide a fun challenge.
- The map design is confusing and lacks detail, making navigation difficult and often leading to players getting lost.
- The English translation is poor, with many grammatical errors and some untranslated sections, which detracts from the storytelling.
- There are critical bugs and glitches that can interrupt gameplay, including crashes and issues with completing tasks.
- story88 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing and interesting, with some players appreciating its mysterious elements and engaging characters, particularly the protagonist, Shiro. However, many reviews note issues with translation, disjointed storytelling, and a lack of clarity in progression, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, the combination of stunning visuals and music helps to enhance the narrative, making it worth following as the game continues to develop.
“The music, the art, the map, and the story are stunning.”
“The story is intriguing for me, and has been thought-provoking enough to keep me playing consistently.”
“An absolutely beautiful metroidvania with an interesting story and some neat puzzles.”
“The story is for the most part nonexistent and whenever it resurfaces, it's weirdly disjointed and hard to truly care about.”
“I've given up on following the story for the most part, because occasionally the text will just change from English to Chinese mid-conversation.”
“There are many parts where the language is still in Chinese, making it kind of hard to understand the story.”
- music60 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that it fits seamlessly with the various environments and situations, transitioning from soothing to lively as needed. While some found the soundtrack to be mostly unmemorable, others highlighted its effectiveness and beauty, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. However, a few users reported technical issues, such as music stopping unexpectedly, which detracted from the otherwise strong auditory experience.
“The music is beautiful and effective; it can go from lush and soothing to lively and dramatic as the situations change.”
“I found the world very satisfying to just jump around in because of the mood offered by the music.”
“The OST is so fitting for each area; when in fighting, the music quickly changes, and entering a calm area, the music makes you feel welcome.”
“The music randomly stops sometimes and only comes back after restarting the game.”
“Couldn't move, jump, or open any menu, but the music and graphics continued until I force closed the game.”
“The OST is so fitting for each area, but the music quickly changes during fights, and entering a calm area makes you feel welcome.”
- gameplay46 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed feedback, with players appreciating its unique mechanics and visual appeal, particularly the focus on ranged combat and positioning. However, critical issues such as glitches, bugs, and a lack of a robust dodge mechanic have been noted, which can disrupt the experience. Overall, while the gameplay is considered fun and polished for an early access title, there is a consensus that further development and refinement are needed before the full release.
“The gameplay loop is simple, yet smooth.”
“For an early access game, it seems to be highly polished from a gameplay perspective, and should only continue to improve.”
“In terms of visual quality, gameplay, and story progression, it's an amazing metroidvania which can easily compete with the likes of Ender Lilies, the Ori games, or even Hollow Knight.”
“However, it might need some development on the dodge mechanic.”
“The developers of this game wanted to mix up the playstyle a bit by giving the main character ranged-only skills, which, with the lack of a dash with i-frames, makes the gameplay focus more on positioning and finding a safe spot you can fire from before having to dodge an attack.”
“Not with the story itself, but with how many interruptions there are to the gameplay.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style, vibrant environments, and memorable visuals, often compared to titles like Ori. Players appreciate the cutesy and flowy aesthetic, which enhances the overall experience alongside the soundtrack. Despite some technical issues, the visuals remain a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“I literally gasped out-loud the first time I saw the graphics.”
“Cute and funny metroidvania with a gorgeous art style.”
“Couldn't move, jump, or open any menu, but the music and graphics continued until I force closed the game.”
“I literally gasped out loud the first time I saw the graphics.”
“The art style and the environments look extremely pretty.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a sense of mystery that invites exploration and discovery, complemented by fitting music and impressive art design. Reviewers praise the game's soundtracks and overall artistic execution, enhancing the immersive experience.
“The atmosphere is wide with a sense of mystery, yet it can provide answers if you seek them.”
“Nice music so far; it fits the atmosphere quite well.”
“They did a remarkable job on the art, atmosphere, and soundtracks.”
“The atmosphere is wide with full of mystery but yet can give you answers if you look for it.”
“They did remarkable jobs on the art, atmosphere, and soundtracks.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features impressive visuals but suffers from significant stability issues, including critical glitches, bugs, and crashes that hinder gameplay and task completion. However, it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck.
“Runs great on Steam Deck”
“Looks amazing, but the interface and gameplay have critical glitches, bugs, and crashes. I can't complete tasks because of these bugs.”
“Looks amazing, but the interface and gameplay have critical glitches, bugs, and crashes. I can't complete tasks because of these bugs.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is noted for its adorable design, which resonates positively with players. However, there is no further elaboration on the depth or growth of the characters beyond their visual appeal.
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized as cute and funny, complementing its gorgeous art style, which enhances the overall playful atmosphere of the metroidvania experience.
“Cute and funny metroidvania with a gorgeous art style.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for optimizations that enhance the ease of traveling and exploration within the game.
“I hope to see optimizations that will make traveling and exploration easier.”
