PC Review: 'Feyruna - Fairy Forest'

Detailed sprites, a colourful cutesy game character, pure arcade action and fantastic hand-painted backgrounds... it's got to be another (only slightly) retro Amiga game, right? Well, shockingly, no. It's Feyruna - Fairy Forest, a brand new PC indy game from Germany, sporting some refreshingly old fashioned game mechanics and lovely 2d visuals. Interested? Good, let me elaborate a bit then.

FFF, as Feyruna - Fairy Forest will henceforth be referred to, probably features Feyruna, a fabulous fairy (which could also be the name of FFF's setting mind you, but really, I like the idea of calling the fairy Feyruna), and is quite frankly an alliteration heavy casual and/or retro gamer's wet dream. It also is one of the more polished (but less innovative...) indy games I've recently seen and one of the few PC offerings with three unlockable mini-games. They might not be much, they might be simple, basic even, but they're definitely a touch that shows the amount of care gone into the game.

Then again, bonus games are just that, a bonus. The main course of FFF has the player assuming the role of a fairy (you know, the one probably named Feyruna), a decidedly non-slutty female character, and going on to liberate places from the Princes of Darkness in a rather ordinary plot, that certainly doesn't takes itself that seriously. After all, FFF, just like every other action heavy game before it, isn't about plot, it's about fun, and this it delivers in abundance.

The game, a reflex honing experience with slight shoot-em-up tendencies, is surprisingly non violent and thus quite appropriate for kids, families and small orgies. You, the player, the happy lil' sprite, travel through 60 levels, each comprising of a beautiful screen, enemies trying to kill/stall you, power-ups and glowies (and butterflies and stuff) you must collect, and ...uhm... collect stuff and avoid/destroy the baddies. Eventually you'll have enough stashed glowies to progress to the next level, that will definitely be more challenging and might also add a new enemy, power-up or tactic to the whole experience. Mind you, that even though the gameplay does indeed get repetitive, these constantly appearing new elements do keep FFF an addictive little pass time, while some progressively tough boss battles to spice things up.

Now, have a try for yourselves. Download the FFF demo. Oh, and I suppose...

That's a (seven and a half) out of (ten).

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