KennyClue Game Review
If you like puzzle platformers and short but sweet games, Aspire: Ina’s Tale might be a great Indie Game option for you to play on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Xbox.
From developer Wondernaut Studio and published by Untold Tales, Aspire: Ina’s Tale follows Ina through a living tower. Experiencing an engaging story where you will meet unique tower dwellers, and even control spirits.
Continuing reading to learn more about Aspire: Ina’s Tale (spoiler-free).
Storyline
Ina's dreams shape reality while the Tower feeds on hopes and imagination. How are the two connected?
Learn about the characters you meet in the Tower as you search for the truth. Discover their pasts and memories to set them free.
I actually completely missed this part of the game (a good excuse for me to replay it!) but apparently, there are memories to collect about the characters you meet and the only one I found was the last one in the game so- oops! I’m assuming you might get a different ending if you find all the memories? But I’m not 100% sure… I don’t want to spoil anything about the game so you’ll have to figure it out for yourself!
The story was simple but also very interesting - it left me wanting to learn more about this fascinating and beautiful world!
Gameplay
Get lost in this magical side-scrolling adventure through gorgeous landscapes, each with its own unique atmosphere. Along the way, you will meet stunning characters who have interesting and unique character designs.
Ina was imprisoned for a reason, and her powers resonate with the different spirits that live within the Tower. Use the spirits to manipulate objects, solve puzzles, reveal hidden passages, and navigate the environment to escape the Tower.
As you explore the world you’ll be rewarded with a generous amount of checkpoints.
Something I didn’t like was when you die there is a loading screen to take you back to the checkpoint and sometimes I felt that the loading screen really took me out of the experience.
But I would use that time to take a deep breath because I did get frustrated at quite a few things in this game!! Some of the puzzles are timing-based and if you missed one step you would basically have to completely restart the puzzle. But I am personally not that good at puzzles so it might just be me!
Music
With the different and unique landscapes of the different levels you get a new beautiful soundtrack that seems to seamlessly match the views around you as you explore the world.
At times it is calming and very beautiful and at other times it is very intense to match the mood of the gameplay.
I also want to touch on the sound effects and the general sound design in this game- it is utterly amazing. I definitely recommend playing this game with headphones and the volume UP! GORGEOUS.
Price
I got this on sale! I forget how on sale it was but I just checked the Nintendo Eshop and it is currently on sale for 50% off making it only $8.64 CDN! Even at full price, this game is definitely worth it at less than $20!
Cozy or Not?
I think this game is definitely cozy! Even with some intense moments, I would still consider this game to be cozy. Some of the puzzles did make me a little frustrated but that is normal for any puzzle game, for me anyway.
Cozy Gaming Tip: I like to look up a walkthrough if I get stuck on a part of a game for too long. I’m not one to give up but I’m also not one to waste my time so I have no problem looking up solutions to things, this is how I keep my gaming sessions cozy even when I start to get frustrated.
Do I Recommend?
I highly recommend Aspire: Ina’s Tale especially if you love exploring a gorgeous world, beautiful music, and solving puzzles. Definitely worth a play, especially since it is such a great price and goes on sale often if you’re on a budget! A great cozy game to add to your gaming library!
Find the game for your Nintendo Switch here.
If you enjoyed reading about this cozy game why not join my Discord and tell me what game I should review next and follow me everywhere @kennyclue.
Thanks for reading <3
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