Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

About

"Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series" is a remastered collection of the classic platformers "Klonoa: Door to Phantomile" and "Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil." Join Klonoa on his adventures as he explores vibrant worlds, solves puzzles, and battles enemies using his trademark "Wind Bullet" ability. With updated visuals and controls, players can experience these timeless classics with a fresh coat of paint.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series screenshot

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,409 reviews

gameplay96 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

gameplay
294 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
3%
The gameplay of the Klonoa series is characterized by its unique "wind bullet" mechanic, allowing players to grab and throw enemies to solve puzzles and navigate levels, which adds depth to the platforming experience. While the core mechanics remain simple and accessible, they evolve throughout the games, introducing more complex challenges and level designs that keep the gameplay engaging. Overall, the remastered versions maintain the charm and fun of the originals, though some players note minor issues with controls and hitboxes.
- “Never has a series of scrimblo bimblo mascot platformers hit me with such emotional gut punches through unexpectedly amazing stories while still retaining simple yet extremely tight gameplay.”
- “The unique 'wind bullet' mechanic where you grab enemies to solve puzzles is super fun and adds a cool twist to the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is super simple (jump and wind bullet, and that's it!) but the stages are very well done.”
- “The gameplay feels a bit more floaty than it originally did; it's not as tight.”
- “I cannot fathom what went through the developers' minds when they made some of these levels; the whole game just becomes troll game design central when you reach the later levels and it's really annoying.”
- “As happy as I was that Klonoa got the re-release, the gameplay doesn't really hold up.”
graphics
268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
71%
3%
The graphics of the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series have received mixed reviews, with some praising the vibrant and colorful visuals that modernize the original art style, while others criticize the loss of charm and fidelity compared to the PS1 and PS2 versions. Many players noted that the remastered graphics, while visually appealing, sometimes feel over-saturated or inconsistent, particularly in the first game, which is based on the Wii remake. Overall, the remaster offers a nostalgic experience with updated visuals, but opinions vary on whether it successfully captures the essence of the originals.
- “The visuals are colorful and the soundtrack slaps, creating a chill yet exciting experience.”
- “The graphics are bright and colorful, and controls are tight, love the character designs.”
- “The remaster of Door to Phantomile is bright and colorful graphically, occasionally to the point where it's overblown, but still a fairly welcome change considering the dull colors in the Wii remake.”
- “The remake doesn't respect the original art style at all.”
- “If you're going to play the first game, just emulate it; this port is a downgrade. The second is pretty similar to the original PS2 version, and I'd recommend it still unless you have a physical PS2 since it's hard to emulate, but this port still sucked a bit of charm and personality and honestly graphical fidelity from both games, despite being a graphical update.”
- “If we are talking purely technical aspects, the game's graphics look bare bones. There are no modern lighting and shadows, anti-aliasing doesn't look good, models look weird and unpolished, and somehow the game overall looks worse than PS1 prerenders.”
story
252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The story of the Klonoa series is characterized by its charming yet simplistic narrative, often surprising players with emotional depth and mature themes despite its cutesy presentation. While "Door to Phantomile" offers a straightforward plot with poignant moments, "Lunatea's Veil" expands on this with a more complex narrative and character development, though some find it convoluted. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its ability to resonate emotionally, making it a standout feature in the platforming genre.
- “The story carries themes of handling emotions, both negative and positive, in a way that not many stories do and honestly probably helped a lot in my emotional maturity and development.”
- “The story is incredibly heartfelt and succeeds in areas that most platformers don't even attempt to cover.”
- “The story, while simple, is engaging enough for anyone to follow along with and dare I say, maybe even get emotional over.”
- “The story is basic and kinda odd, but passable.”
- “The levels lasted too long, and the storyline is a bit wonky to me.”
- “The story felt really rushed and lacked depth.”
music
219 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
1%
The music in both games is widely praised for its charm and emotional depth, enhancing the whimsical and dreamlike atmosphere of the gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the catchy and memorable soundtracks, which evoke nostalgia and complement the colorful visuals and engaging narratives. However, some criticisms arise regarding audio mixing issues and inconsistencies in music transitions, particularly in the remastered versions, which detract from the overall experience.
- “The music, the art style, everything in this game has shaped in some form or another my sensibilities on the things I enjoy.”
- “The charming, melodic soundtrack fits the whimsical nature of the levels, enhancing the emotional moments.”
- “The music is sublime; it gives a very relaxed vibe, even in the more tense moments of gameplay.”
- “The transition from original to full 3D practically eliminated a lot of the charm the game had for me, and the audio mixing is jarring. I can barely hear certain characters or music, and at one time in the game it inexplicably has a rerecorded line that sticks out, entirely ruining the moment.”
- “The music often loops incorrectly and plays at the wrong time during important sequences.”
- “Some cutscene music has broken cues, resulting in scenes with inappropriate music playing during them.”
emotional
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the Klonoa series is highlighted by its surprisingly deep and touching narratives, which explore themes of dreams, memories, and loss, often leaving players in tears. The charming characters and melodic soundtracks enhance the emotional experience, making the games resonate on a personal level, even for those unfamiliar with the originals. Overall, the combination of heartfelt storytelling and engaging gameplay creates a unique platforming experience that is both nostalgic and impactful.
- “The story carries themes of handling emotions, both negative and positive, in a way that not many stories do and honestly probably helped a lot in my emotional maturity and development.”
- “The narrative introduces themes of dreams, memories, and loss, which hit harder than expected, leaving an emotional impact.”
- “The story is incredibly heartfelt and succeeds in areas that most platformers don't even attempt to cover.”
humor
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The humor in the Klonoa games is characterized by charming characters like Huepow, Lolo, and Popka, who inject personality and comedic moments into the gameplay. Players frequently mention the unexpected laughter elicited by the characters' antics, particularly the "funny wahoo" cabbit, which adds a lighthearted touch to the overall experience. Despite some critiques, the humor remains a standout feature that resonates with fans, often evoking nostalgia and emotional responses.
- “This is an incredibly charming game, I honestly did not expect the characters to have as much personality as they did but ended up laughing at moments when I least expected it. The gameplay holds up surprisingly well too despite so many years since its original release.”
- “Who knew that the funny little wahoo puzzle platformer games would make me tear up?”
- “I love these games and the funny wahoo creature.”
- “Not funny, I cried.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
36%
32%
The optimization of the game is highly inconsistent, with some players experiencing smooth performance on various systems, while others report significant stuttering and framerate issues that detract from the gameplay experience. While the game runs well on certain setups, particularly on handheld devices, many users highlight a lack of polish and optimization, suggesting that a patch may be necessary to address the frequent performance fluctuations. Overall, the game's performance varies widely, leading to mixed reviews regarding its optimization.
- “Both games run smoothly on the Steam Deck with no performance issues.”
- “Battery held really well, performance was steady at 60fps with all settings at max, and in general, I would say I enjoyed it more playing them on a handheld than on my main computer.”
- “The PC port itself appears to be pretty good; gameplay is very smooth with no stuttering noticed on my R5 5600X/RTX 3070, and I was able to change video settings to 1440p without any weird hiccups that you sometimes see on remasters of classic games.”
- “My one biggest complaint is that the framerate and performance does not match the graphics quality displayed on the screen.”
- “First of all, I want to say how incredibly poor the performance is.”
- “While textures can be nice here and there, this game is otherwise so, so unpolished and unoptimized, to the extent that at plenty of occasions, the originals (1998 and 2001 games) look better.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The atmosphere in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the immersive sound effects and captivating level design that enhance the experience, while others criticize the loss of the original's dream-like quality and dynamic lighting. Many players appreciate the blend of bright and darker color palettes, but feel that recent changes have diminished the intended mood in certain scenes. Overall, the atmosphere remains a significant aspect of the game, though opinions vary on its execution compared to previous versions.
- “Sound effects are crisp and blend well with the overall atmosphere, making the journey through Phantomile and Lunatea even more immersive.”
- “If you really like atmospheric side scrollers with a varying color palette from bright and colorful to darker tones, with music that complements the environment of every level and situation, I can say you'll highly enjoy this game as well as its story.”
- “The style, the characters, the music, and the atmosphere are all amazing.”
- “The stylized look is gone, the dream-like atmosphere was replaced with bright vomit colors for (adult) kids - changes to the cutscenes also alter the vibe in many ways.”
- “It's really frustrating that the lighting interferes with the sort of atmosphere that certain scenes or locations are trying to create.”
- “The lighting of the game is also very static and not as dynamic as the original release, which makes some areas of the game lose their intended atmosphere.”
character development
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its charming and vibrant character designs, which resonate well with the game's fantasy atmosphere. While many players appreciate the aesthetic and nostalgic elements, some feel that the overall character development could benefit from deeper storytelling and more engaging cutscenes. Overall, the character designs are praised for their appeal, but there is a consensus that the narrative aspects could be more fleshed out.
- “The art is gorgeous and I love the character designs and voices.”
- “Pretty much everything is better in this version from the character design, to the story, to the platforming variety and thanks to the always enjoyable snowboarding sections that make quite a few appearances in the story.”
- “I will however compliment the character designs, they do capture the style of the original very well and probably save Klonoa 1 from being a total disaster graphically in this remake.”
- “I really love the character designs and the story, but I kind of wish it had more time in development because it felt kind of bland in a lot of ways. The platforming doesn't feel as good as it should, and they could have done a lot more with the cutscenes or rewritten the script.”
- “I booted up the game immediately and while I thought it looked really nice in terms of the environments and updated character designs, all the little details seemed to have fallen to the wayside.”
- “While the character models are nice and simple, just like the original games, they lack the depth and detail that could have made them more engaging.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when it comes to collecting certain items and replaying levels. While some appreciate the challenge and variety in gameplay, many feel that the need to grind for collectibles can detract from the overall experience, making it feel repetitive and unnecessarily prolonged. Overall, the games are considered short, with some players suggesting that grinding can be mitigated by utilizing easier modes or focusing on specific stages.
- “Some of the collectibles are pretty unreasonable to get, and replaying the same level for some of them is pretty tedious.”
- “The only real gripes I would give to both of these games is that trying to collect every crystal in each stage is a tedious and annoying task, and some folks might find that the games are a tad short.”
- “It's not a hard game in general, but smoothly moving around is just very tedious because of this.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
64%
The stability of the games reviewed is highly variable; while some titles are plagued by significant bugs, visual glitches, and poor mechanics, others are praised for their smooth performance and lack of issues. Players express frustration over the buggy nature of certain remasters, contrasting it with the positive experience of others that run well and maintain the feel of the originals. Overall, the feedback highlights a divide between poorly executed remasters and those that deliver a stable and enjoyable experience.
- “This remake is really good, no bugs, no glitches, no glitched textures; it has the feel of the original PS1/PS2/Wii games but better.”
- “There are not many options in settings, but that's fine because the game runs great and looks great with what is available out of the box.”
- “I'm happy to say that so far this remaster has been pretty bug-free; it controls just like the original.”
- “The original games are extremely well designed, have competent timeless aesthetics and are well worth a play, but this buggy piece of trash is the worst remaster I have ever seen.”
- “There are already visual glitches like the main character not being rendered in the sea.”
- “Everything is worse and ported incorrectly; the mechanics are buggy and ruin the gameplay, the controls are worse, the animations are broken, the inconsistent art looks terrible, the atmosphere is gone, and the sound design is worse too.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
89%
The monetization of the game has been criticized as feeling like a cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment in the lack of proper budget and advertising support. While the core gameplay is appreciated and free from intrusive microtransactions, some DLC offerings are viewed as unnecessary and exploitative. Overall, the game is seen as deserving more respect and promotion, rather than being treated as a nostalgic cash-in.
- “Overall, I had a blast with the game. Achievements were easy to earn, which I don't really care about. All I care about is a good game that is treated with respect, which thankfully is done with this. The game is just pure to its roots, a single-player platformer game, nothing more, nothing less. No live services or microtransactions, if you ignore the soundtrack, digital artbook, and cosmetic hats since they give no effects whatsoever. This is what most games need to be nowadays, in my opinion.”
- “I appreciate that the game doesn't rely on aggressive monetization strategies. It feels refreshing to play a game that respects the player's experience without pushing for constant purchases.”
- “The monetization model is fair and unobtrusive, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend extra money. It's a breath of fresh air in today's gaming landscape.”
- “This feels like a very lazy cash grab.”
- “Like I said before, it just feels kind of cheap in many places, and part of me can't shake the feeling that this is nothing more than a quick cash grab, with no real intentions of showing Klonoa any real care.”
- “Also please don't buy the DLC, it's just a cash grab.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Both games offer some collectibles and secrets for completionists, but overall, their replayability is limited after the initial playthrough, with most players only finding value in replaying levels for minor extras. While newly added features enhance the experience slightly, the games generally provide around 10 hours of content, making replayability an afterthought.
- “I like the newly added features for replayability.”
- “Simple, but very enjoyable and replayable.”
- “Both games have extra collectibles and secrets for completionists.”
- “Both games have extra collectibles and secrets for completionists, but limited replayability once those are found.”
- “And past the 10 hours or so that you will get out of the two games combined, replayability is an afterthought - the most you can do is replay levels to unlock inconsequential extras.”
- “More if you are bad at platforming, but there's not much replayability.”