Sonority
- May 24, 2022
- Hanging Gardens Interactive
"Sonority is a single-player musical puzzle game with a good story, fresh take on the genre, and immersive gameplay. It has a relaxing atmosphere and is reasonably demanding, but not frustrating. The game features a raccoon character with excellent voice acting, making the experience even more enjoyable."
Reviews
- The game features unique and innovative puzzles that creatively integrate music mechanics, making it engaging and enjoyable.
- The visuals and sound design are charming, creating a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The puzzles are accessible to players without musical knowledge, allowing a broader audience to enjoy the game.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including softlocks and broken achievements, which can disrupt gameplay.
- Many puzzles lack variety, often relying on simple addition and subtraction, leading to a repetitive experience.
- The story is underdeveloped and the game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more depth and content.
- music128 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in "Sonority" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its atmospheric quality and the way it enhances the puzzle-solving experience. However, some users noted frustrations with the lack of in-game options for adjusting music settings and the repetitive nature of certain sound effects, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. While the game is designed to be accessible to those without musical knowledge, it still offers depth for music lovers, featuring a variety of musical elements and a charming soundtrack that many players found delightful.
“Sonority is a beautiful, but emotional game about the restorative healing power of music.”
“The music in this game is very well done.”
“The engaging storyline, cute characters, calming music, and colorful styling help make this a relaxing game even in its trickier moments with the fun and rewarding gameplay remaining at the forefront of the experience.”
“The music is just a theme layered upon puzzles, which are based on addition and subtraction from 1 to 10.”
“While everything on the surface claims it's this big musical puzzle game, the actual puzzles are purely mathematical in nature.”
“For a game that is centered around sound, the obnoxiously loud jumpscare music over and over really leaves a sour taste.”
- story34 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as cute and engaging, though often described as cheesy, simplistic, or lacking depth. While some players appreciate the charming atmosphere and visual storytelling, others find the narrative weak or unclear, with a few noting that it doesn't significantly detract from the gameplay experience. Overall, the story serves as a lighthearted backdrop that complements the puzzles and visuals, making for a relaxing gaming experience.
“I really enjoyed this game and the story was interesting.”
“The engaging storyline, cute characters, calming music and colourful styling help make this a relaxing game even in its trickier moments with the fun and rewarding gameplay remaining at the forefront of the experience.”
“It's got quite a lovely story that pulls you through the game and I've found it to be quite a relaxing way to spend the evening.”
“The story is really cheesy and the game is short.”
“The story makes no sense.”
“I'm not going to spend any time on it because you can skip most of it, but good lord this is an awful story.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its innovative puzzle mechanics that incorporate music, creating a unique and engaging experience. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and the intuitive controls, which enhance the overall enjoyment of the game. The puzzles are well-designed, progressively increasing in complexity while remaining accessible, making for a relaxing yet rewarding adventure.
“Amazing puzzle adventure with loved gameplay and visuals as well as the puzzles in most parts.”
“Absolutely loved the fresh, unique game mechanics.”
“The engaging storyline, cute characters, calming music, and colorful styling help make this a relaxing game even in its trickier moments, with the fun and rewarding gameplay remaining at the forefront of the experience.”
“The puzzles and mechanics are getting more and more complex, but it's never too much.”
“The whole new puzzle mechanic is based on descending and ascending note sequences that will move any objects that can 'hear'.”
“Puzzle mechanics are kept fresh by the introduction of some twists here and there and by how music causes different effects on different artifacts.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and attention to detail, featuring sharp, neat visuals that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the simple yet charming art style, which complements the engaging puzzles and atmospheric gameplay. However, some users have reported issues with character movement being hindered by the environment, suggesting a need for improvements in collision detection.
“Graphics were beautiful and you can see that the world was lovingly crafted with attention to detail.”
“Nice little isometric platformer with a diverting mechanic and some beautiful artwork.”
“Musical puzzles + cool mechanics + atmospheric = a unique puzzle adventure with great graphics.”
“If you hide collectibles in hard-to-find spots, then make sure the character doesn't get stuck in the graphics/environment; also, invisible walls are frustrating, just put a plain wall instead.”
“I had to constantly quit to the main menu and restart due to getting stuck within the graphics and unable to move (happened at least half a dozen times in my one short session).”
“The visuals are simple and cute.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game "Sonority" is highlighted by its beautiful and heartwarming narrative centered around the healing power of music, creating a relaxing atmosphere. While players find the story and characters endearing and occasionally touching, some express disappointment over the lack of character interactions and a more impactful emotional conclusion. Overall, the game evokes a sense of care for the main character, but leaves some emotional goals unfulfilled.
“Sonority is a beautiful, but emotional game about the restorative healing power of music.”
“Nevertheless, it's a very cute story in a relaxing and heartwarming environment.”
“Story and characters are funny, cute, and sometimes touching.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its enchanting musical elements, including background music and interactive melodies, which create a captivating and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the charming environment and relaxing qualities, making it an ideal choice for players seeking an escape from reality through a unique puzzle adventure. Overall, the combination of music, visuals, and engaging mechanics contributes to a deeply atmospheric gameplay experience.
“Overall it's a very atmospheric game with lots and lots of musical elements - background music, hidden chests with small melodies, at some point you even get the chance to create your own melodies in the game.”
“Super chilling puzzle game with an absolutely charming atmosphere and story.”
“100% recommendation if you are looking for a game to dive head first into and experience a captivating atmosphere that makes you forget all about this thing called reality.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report occasional visual glitches and camera issues that can affect gameplay, particularly with pathing. While these stability concerns are noted, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience for most players.
“There are some visual glitches, and the camera is not always the most cooperative, but that didn't bother me too much (although it might have if I had tried to 100% the music notes).”
“Sometimes the pathing glitches out.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as the puzzles are straightforward and do not offer significant challenges or achievements to pursue.
“The puzzles were very straightforward and rather tedious.”
“Grinding achievements: no”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be very well optimized for the platform, ensuring smooth performance and an enjoyable experience for players.
“Very well optimized for the deck.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of funny and cute elements, often intertwined with touching moments that enhance the overall narrative and character development.
“The story and characters are funny, cute, and sometimes touching.”
“The humor is clever and keeps you laughing throughout the game.”
“I love the witty dialogue and the hilarious situations the characters find themselves in.”