The downside, though, is that there are very few upgrades that expand the area you’re able to reach. Kaho can’t take many hits when you first start, so if you can’t manage to beat a particular boss you can always double back and explore a different area. It helps alleviate the brutal difficulty of the early hours.

Pretty much the entire map can be accessed as soon as you leave the starting area. Things start to get hazy once the world opens up and allows for more free-form exploration. Ironically, I think the limited opening area is the best as the tighter focus helps the level design feel really solid. The adventure starts out as a fairly linear side-scroller but eventually opens up into a full Metroidvania.

Kaho’s home has fallen under a curse that’s spreading across the land, and she finds that the curse can only be broken by killing the Queen, who has descended into madness. Momodora takes place in the dying Kingdom of Karst, starring a priestess named Kaho. The highs in Momodora are very high, but the lows come a bit too often for it to truly excel. Unfortunately, I wish i could say the same about gameplay. The outstanding art is what originally drew me to Momodora, and I’m happy to say it’s consistently excellent the entire way through.

Animation is incredibly smooth, with a ton of detail put into each character. I don’t think I’ve ever seen pixel art quite as gorgeous as what developer Bombservice has pulled off. Momodora is immediately striking from its incredible art design.

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