LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias

About

"LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias" is the sequel to the acclaimed "LostWinds". This game allows players to transform the world of Mistralis between summer and winter, using elemental abilities like cyclone and moisture-laden clouds to explore, solve puzzles and battle enemies. The ability to instantly change the season brings new depth to this captivating adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias screenshot

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 122 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

LostWinds 2 builds on the charm of the first game with improved mechanics, beautiful graphics, and a delightful story that continues seamlessly.
The introduction of the season-switching mechanic adds depth to the puzzles, making gameplay more engaging and varied.
The game is visually stunning and features a relaxing soundtrack, making it a pleasant experience for players of all ages.

The controls can be frustrating, especially when using a mouse, leading to a less enjoyable experience compared to the original Wii version.
The game suffers from significant backtracking and some tedious level design, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
Despite being longer than the first game, it still feels short and lacks replay value, making it hard to justify the full price.

gameplay
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
80%
5%
The gameplay in "Lostwinds 2: Winter of the Melodias" builds upon its predecessor with unique wind mechanics and seasonal changes that enhance exploration and puzzle-solving. While the game introduces new elements and maintains a charming aesthetic, some players find the controls challenging and the overall experience relatively short, with around 3.5 to 8 hours of gameplay. Despite these drawbacks, the game is praised for its creativity and engaging mechanics, making it a worthwhile sequel for fans of the original.
- “Lostwinds 2 keeps all the elements that made the first game so brilliant, the atmosphere and the mechanics, while introducing new elements of gameplay that make it slightly more developed than Lostwinds 1.”
- “The gameplay mechanics use of the mouse to control the wind, which in turn allows you to traverse the environment or move objects, is really creative.”
- “The addition of seasons drastically changes the gameplay, as water that once could be swum through is no longer swimmable when it's a block of ice.”
- “The gameplay is not perfect either; sometimes it's hard to control your mouse movements the way you want to, although I admit I was expecting worse after reading the negative comments.”
- “If you don't know the mechanics, it can be hard to progress until you figure it out, as the game doesn't always do the best job of explaining them.”
- “Many of the core issues remain, and many of the new mechanics are just annoying.”
story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
76%
6%
The story of "Lostwinds 2: Winter of Melodias" is generally described as cute and charming, continuing directly from the first game while expanding on its world and characters. While some players appreciate the imaginative premise and relaxing atmosphere, others find the narrative simplistic and lacking depth, with gameplay often overshadowing the story. Overall, it offers a pleasant experience for those who enjoy light-hearted storytelling in a platforming context, though it
- “Lostwinds 2: Winter of Melodias is a cute story-driven 2D platformer developed by Frontier Developments and released on the Wii in 2009, and on Steam in 2016.”
- “The most negative point of the previous game was that I thought it was too short; I wanted to explore more, get to know the lore, the characters, and the world better. The second game solves this problem; it is longer, involves the story, the mechanics, the characters, and, mainly: the world.”
- “The story is entirely told by text, but everything about this game just feels fresh and unique. It's a game that really showcases traditional settings coupled with fantasy elements, making it feel spiritual and lively.”
- “The motion is more synchronous, but story and gameplay that don’t live up to their potential knock it down several pegs.”
- “There is little to no story; I still don't understand who the bad guy was, but maybe I should have played the first game to understand?”
- “The story takes a backseat to the metroidvania-like gameplay as you seek out treasures, new skills, and answers to the curse you are trying to solve.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
36%
12%
The music in the game is generally described as beautiful, relaxing, and well-suited to the environments, enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is limited in variety, leading to some repetitiveness over time. While some found the music to be a highlight, others felt it could use improvement, particularly in terms of volume balance with sound effects.
- “I much prefer it from its prior game, and the combination between the soothing music, calming atmosphere, and well-created storytelling makes me give this game a 10/10.”
- “Cute, short, well-designed puzzle platformer that has great art and music.”
- “The music in this was also really nice and suited to the environments as well.”
- “Perhaps because the game is slightly longer, the soundtrack started to sound repetitive and clumsy after a while.”
- “There are still far too few music tracks.”
- “The OST could use some work though.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
35%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and adorable art style, with many reviewers highlighting the charming environments and character designs. While some note minor improvements and smooth performance across various hardware, a few critiques mention that the visuals alone may not compensate for gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, particularly for a younger audience.
- “The graphics are beautiful and the music is nice, but I have to un-recommend this version of the game.”
- “The game has some really beautiful environments and the graphics are really well designed and laid out.”
- “The visuals are beautiful, and the plot is imaginative.”
- “The graphics are pretty bad here, and I don't know who wanted a platformer where you can't jump, but here's one anyway.”
- “However, it does seem to lack very many general options such as keybindings, graphical options, etc., but that is most likely due to the fact that it is a WiiWare port.”
- “I'm pleased to report the game is just as cute, and an ideal sequel, you pick up right where you left off, and it feels just like the previous game (in storytelling, gameplay, mechanics, and graphics/theming).”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
13%
25%
The atmosphere of Lostwinds 2 is widely praised for its soothing music, calming environment, and engaging storytelling, creating a beautiful and immersive experience reminiscent of classic Nintendo titles like Zelda. While some players feel that reducing dialogue could enhance the sense of mystery, the overall ambiance is considered a significant strength of the game, making it a highly recommended series for those who appreciate a kid-friendly and atmospheric adventure.
- “I much prefer it from its prior game, and the combination between the soothing music, calming atmosphere, and well-created storytelling makes me give this game a 10/10.”
- “Lostwinds 2 keeps all the elements that made the first opus so brilliant, the atmosphere and the mechanics, while introducing new elements of gameplay that make it slightly more developed than Lostwinds 1.”
- “Lostwinds 2 does have an atmospheric feel like a Nintendo title such as Zelda.”
- “Overall, I highly recommend the series if you're able to deal with the kid-friendly atmosphere and the not too serious or difficult gameplay.”
- “Music - there isn't much music, but what music is there fits the game and adds solid atmosphere.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the grinding in the LostWinds games can become tedious, the relatively short playtime of 3 to 4 hours and the introduction of new elements every 20-30 minutes help maintain player interest. However, some players find the combat mechanics frustrating and repetitive, suggesting that a greater focus on puzzles might have improved the experience.
- “The main reason I can't recommend this game on PC is because it's really tedious to play with mouse and keyboard, frustrating at times even.”
- “It doesn’t force it too much, but it did kind of get a little tedious going back and forth.”
- “Trying to use winds or the elements to ward away your enemies can be frustrating when it's relatively long, tedious, and you're trying not to fling your character like some kind of ragdoll.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches, particularly during transitions between phases. Troubleshooting efforts, such as installing DirectX 9, have not resolved these issues, leading to a frustrating experience reminiscent of its predecessor.
- “Boring, buggy game, just like the first one.”
- “I've tried running it through previous version compatibility and troubleshooting recommended by another player (installing DirectX version 9).”
- “Several game phases have glitches during their transitions.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is generally well-received in terms of performance, with no stuttering and impressive visuals; however, it is noted as a poorly optimized Wii port. Despite this, the updated mechanics and controls enhance the overall experience.
- “It works completely fine: no stuttering, visuals are still wonderful, and the mechanics/controls are slightly updated.”
- “I enjoyed the game, but it was a poorly optimized Wii port.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Reviews indicate a lack of character development, with many players feeling that the game does not provide sufficient background or new ideas to engage with the characters. Additionally, it assumes prior knowledge of the protagonists from the first game, leaving newcomers at a disadvantage.
- “There is no character development or background descriptions, as the game assumes that you know all the protagonists from the first game.”
- “The characters feel flat and uninteresting, lacking any meaningful growth or depth throughout the story.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of character arcs; it felt like the characters were just placeholders without any real development.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Many users note that the game's short length of 3-4 hours significantly limits its replayability, making it difficult to justify the full price.
- “Overall, the short length of around 3-4 hours, combined with little to no replay value, makes it hard to recommend at full price.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's really no incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”