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 leading to frustration.
- The English translation is poor, with many grammatical errors and some untranslated sections, which detracts from the story experience.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including bugs and crashes, which can interrupt gameplay.
- story44 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing and interesting, with a mix of captivating elements and some disjointed moments that can make it hard to follow. While the visuals and music enhance the experience, translation issues and incomplete narrative elements detract from the overall storytelling, leaving players wanting more clarity and coherence. Despite these challenges, many players find the story engaging enough to keep them invested in the game.
“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.”
“I can't say much about the plot because I haven't been that far in to judge, but as far as I noticed, the story progression feels mediocre.”
- music30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its fitting and immersive quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack complements various environments and situations, transitioning seamlessly from soothing to lively. While some found the music occasionally unmemorable or experienced technical issues, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“The music is beautiful and effective; it can go from lush and soothing to lively and dramatic as the situations change.”
“Love the music, love the art style, love the story; gameplay-wise, it's quite similar to Ori.”
“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; when in fighting, the music quickly changes, and entering a calm area, the music makes you feel welcome.”
- gameplay23 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed feedback, with some players enjoying the unique mechanics and art style, while others have noted critical glitches, bugs, and a lack of depth in dodging options. The focus on ranged combat and positioning offers a refreshing change from typical melee-centric metroidvanias, although some mechanics can feel simplistic or repetitive. Overall, while the game shows promise and is polished for an early access title, players recommend waiting for further updates to enhance the gameplay experience.
“The mechanic is pretty interesting.”
“I've quite enjoyed this change in gameplay since most metroidvanias I've played focus on melee-based combat more.”
“For an early access game, it seems to be highly polished from a gameplay perspective, and should only continue to improve.”
“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.”
“Gameplay is simple but gets a bit monkey-brained after you get a certain rock-tossing spirit.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % 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 combination of beautiful graphics and an engaging soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience. Despite some gameplay issues, the visuals remain a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
“The art style and the environments look extremely pretty.”
“Visuals are cutesy, vibrant, flowy, and pretty.”
“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 visuals are cutesy, vibrant, flowy, and pretty.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a sense of mystery that invites exploration, complemented by fitting music and impressive art design. Reviewers praise the game's ability to create an immersive environment that enhances the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is wide with full of mystery but can provide answers if you seek them.”
“Nice music so far; it fits the atmosphere quite well.”
“The atmosphere is wide with full of mystery but yet can give you answers if you look for them.”
“They did a remarkable job on the art, atmosphere, and soundtracks.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While the game boasts impressive visuals, players report significant stability issues, including critical glitches, bugs, and crashes that hinder gameplay. However, it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck.
“Runs great on Steam Deck.”
“The game looks amazing, but the interface and gameplay are plagued with critical glitches, bugs, and crashes, making it impossible to complete tasks due to these issues.”
“Frequent crashes and bugs ruin the experience, making it frustrating to progress in the game.”
“Despite its potential, the game suffers from severe stability issues that lead to constant interruptions and a lack of enjoyment.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character design is praised for its adorable qualities, contributing positively to the overall appeal of the characters.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its charming and humorous elements, complemented by a stunning art style, making it an enjoyable experience for players who appreciate lightheartedness in a metroidvania format.
“A cute and funny metroidvania with a gorgeous art style.”
“The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
“I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % 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.”
