Searching for a Stress Reliever?

Some days, all you crave after a hard day of work is a relaxing game where you can sing, dance, and use your musical abilities to defend a cozy little village from the ghosts that haunt the villagers’ houses. If this sounds delightful, then I offer Wandersong for your consideration. I tried this short, charming game looking for something unique, hoping it would satisfy that craving of something a bit more relaxing than my default genre. Here, I’ll share my initial impressions of the first part of my journey as the humble bard trying to save the world in Wandersong. I’ll also address who this game may be best suited for, some issues with the graphics, and eight alternatives to consider instead.

Wandersong is described as a single-player, musical platformer with a story. Released on September 27, 2018 for PC, XBox, PS4/5, and Nintendo Switch, this bright, colorful world was developed by Wishes Ultd., Greg Lobanov, A Shell in the Pit, and published by Greg Lobanov and Humble Games. Gordon McGladdery composed the music. I connected to the idea that it's musical. Knowing that I have always struggled with platformers though, I hesitated. After noting that the review status on Steam is overwhelmingly positive for this game, and that it was a finalist for Excellence in Narrative at the 2019 Independent Games Festival, I continued to move forward.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Beginning of My Journey

I entered Wandersong with virtually no real introduction. An adorable, little bard stood awaiting my instructions. This was the protagonist I would play throughout the adventure. I experimented by pressing a few buttons, and I was finally able to pull up the menu. I went to Options first.

Once I adjusted the settings to my preferences–and checked out all the other menus–I returned to my patiently-waiting bard character. Since no tutorial or on-screen cues existed, I decided to begin moving my musically-inclined character to the right (it is a side-scroller, after all). I quickly acquired a sword. I then bumped into a shape that, after a bit more “push every button until something happens” experimentation, revealed itself to be a sort of spirit. I’d like to tell you how the exchange began, but regrettably, I was too busy trying to figure out exactly what to do.

No worries. The Angel, a messenger of Eya, gave me news that overshadowed any real-world concern about learning how to play the game: The universe is about to end! If the graphics had been produced at a higher level, I could have appreciated the gravity of this announcement a bit more.

Continuing the Journey

I continued to travel and entered Act 1. I met a bird and at last, the musical element of the game came into play! After matching the pattern of notes, the bird exploded, empowering me briefly with the ability to jump higher so I could continue my journey.

Thanks, bird!

I entered a village and here was where the story seemed to really begin. After countless times of pressing my trusty key to get past the mostly inconsequential dialogue, I matched patterns of notes to banish ghosts who have been haunting the villagers’ homes.

Let’s face it. You’re going to slog through a lot of dull dialogue and repetitive actions in Wandersong. You will experience simplified game mechanics by being able to move as one would expect in a basic platformer while using a radial dial to match patterns of notes.

Perhaps the rote gameplay will induce a tranquil state of calm and relaxation within many gamers who desire something low-key after a stressful day at work.

How Did My Search End, and Who is This Game For?

I would like to believe that Wandersong really is about, well, wandering. The game description boasts of 10-12 hours of adventure via a globe-trotting journey, after all. Unfortunately, this was not my experience. Granted, I am not one who enjoys pressing one single key continually to get past numerous, small dialogue bubbles. For those who delight in copious drips of quotes between any real action in a game, you will relish these exchanges with the NPCs far more than I can ever appreciate.

So if this game is not exactly my cup of tea, then who is it for? Wandersong has a whimsical world that younger gamers could absolutely fall in love with. The environment invites them to explore a colorful, cheery, whimsical, and bright setting where they can be the hero. The no-fuss game mechanics offer a rewarding experience via easy and repetitive controls. Singing and dancing are used to resolve problems in lieu of violence.  Youngsters can advance in the adventure without great difficulty, eventually mastering the entire game within a few hours.

ISSUES WITH THE GAME

Lackluster Graphics

The screenshots in this review are directly from my game play experience on a PC. It was disappointing to experience a gap between what was advertised–very crisp and highly defined 2D artwork–and what I actually saw while playing. No amount of adjusting the settings corrected the pixelated, fuzzy graphics. This unfortunately diminished what would otherwise have been a vibrant, quaint world. What a shame.

Photosensitivity Issues

Although players can turn off the rumble, screen shake, and flashing effects, gamers who may have photo sensitivities may want to take caution when playing Wandersong. The coloring and flashing effects can be a bit overpowering and nauseating, if not actually unsafe for those who may have photosensitive seizures. Since this is something I personally have to be aware of when playing games, I felt it was worth noting in this review. (Thankfully, I did not have any negative issues when playing the game; however, I also set my gaming area accordingly before trying a new game as a precaution.)

EIGHT ALTERNATIVES

The Spirit and The Mouse - A narrative-focused game where you play as a mouse with a heart of gold, doing good deeds as you explore the French village of Sainte-et-Claire.

One Hand Clapping - Hum and sing into your microphone to change the world in this relaxing 2D platformer filled with puzzles.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse Of The Leviathan - Enjoy over 30 hours of gameplay (about 3 times longer than Wandersong) in this adventure puzzle-platformer where collecting creatures and bringing color back into the world are your primary objectives.

Rhythm Sprout: Sick Beats & Bad Sweets - Chill lo-fi meets boss battles in the fast-paced, quirky Village Kingdom; filled with a wide range of music genres, customizations, and level modifiers, you play as Sprout, the Chosen Onion.

Helheim Hassle - Another adventure puzzle-platformer with more macabre elements; play as Bjørn, a resurrected Viking and pacifist who gets out of sticky situations using a interesting solution–detaching and combining his own limbs in unique ways.

Songbird Symphony - Play as the orphaned chick Birb in this heart-warming platformer overflowing with gorgeous pixel art, music, and secrets galore.

Pikuniku - Travel through the absurd and simple dystopian environment to uncover a conspiracy, all while meeting a cast full of memorable characters and solving puzzles in this 2D exploration game (has a co-op mode available).

Figment - Join protagonists Dusty and Piper in this award-winning, surreal action-adventure; an amalgamation of music, humor, and puzzles form an immersive experience for players who help the two main characters build the courage to defeat nightmarish creatures.

CONCLUSION

To those who learn the mysterious Earthsong and prevent the universe’s imminent demise, I thank you for having the bardic inspiration within you to unlock the world’s secrets and save it!

PROS:

• Great for younger gamers
• Whimsical, colorful, light-hearted
• Can be enjoyable and relaxing, if this style of game is your cup of tea
• Uses musical elements like singing and dancing in lieu of violence to resolve problems

CONS:

• Feels rote–quickly
• Inconsequential dialogue can go on a bit too long
• Graphics are fuzzy, pixelated, and lackluster (I played on Steam; users of other platforms may experience better quality.)
• Lacks a much-needed photosensitivity warning