Mirrored Souls, developed by The Bricks Studio and published by Short N Sweet Games, presents a unique blend of puzzle-solving and platforming in a mirrored world. The game introduces players to Daru and Ravi, two celestial beings who have to navigate intertwined dimensions. The task at hand is to guide them in tandem, requiring synchronized movements to overcome challenges and progress through the hand-drawn scenarios. We checked out the PlayStation 4 version of this multiplatform release.
The narrative of Mirrored Souls delves into the profound connection between Daru and Ravi, exploring themes of mortality, friendship, and love. The reflection of their intertwined existence can thus not only be seen in the gameplay mechanics but also in the thoughtful storytelling, providing players with a rare contemplative experience in a puzzle platformer setting.
The core gameplay mechanic, where a single player controls both Daru and Ravi simultaneously, adds a layer of complexity to the puzzles. Initially this will be straightforward, but the later levels pose some interesting challenges, requiring careful consideration and planning because you try out a possible solution. The mirrored worlds of Daru and Ravi demand precise coordination, and some clever level designs consistently introduce new elements to keep the puzzles engaging.
Visually, Mirrored Souls shines with its vibrant art style, though there are instances where certain puzzle elements blend into the background, potentially causing players to overlook crucial components of the solution – and we imagine this is worse for people with any kind of color blindness. The puzzles themselves are a highlight though, combining traditional puzzle game elements like pushing blocks around and pushing buttons with some light platforming. Some levels can feel like sudden spikes in difficulty though, and these can come somewhat randomly in between two easier levels.
The game excels in its implementation of the single-player-coop mechanic, providing a unique and satisfying puzzle-solving experience. Controlling Daru and Ravi is seamless, and the synchronized movements create a captivating dynamic between the two characters. If you enjoyed games like Kalimba or Semispheres, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well. And when you consider the aforementioned difficulty spikes, it’s nice that there is an option to skip levels and still progress, though the UI could use some work to make it visually clearer which puzzles were skipped, so we can more easily go back to them.
In conclusion, Mirrored Souls successfully leverages its core mechanic for engaging and creative puzzles. While some levels may feel a bit out of place, the overall experience is a rewarding exploration of interconnected dimensions. With its thoughtful narrative and challenging puzzles, Mirrored Souls offers a reflective journey well worth undertaking for any puzzle platformer fan.
Score: 7.3/10
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