Wenjia

Review

Wenjia is a 2D platform game which takes you through the beautiful scenery of two realms, Matter and Energy, along with a great soundtrack brought to you by DilemmaStudio-困境游戏

The realm of Matter has been here since the beginning of time, but hidden behind this realm lies another, where amazing creatures can be found. The Energy realm beckons you and all you must do is remove the veil of illusion. You play as Wenjia, and like other creatures that have evolved in the Energy world, you are matter-less; a sentient being of pure energy in the form of a cat, who can travel freely between the two worlds of Matter and Energy.



The two worlds mirror one another; although they both look completely different, the Matter realm is awash with vibrant colours and beautiful scenery, whereas the Energy realm is fantastically strange – darker, but beautiful in its own way. An earthquake has ruptured the veil between the two realms, and the energy realm is seeping into the matter realm. The spirits of the Energy realm flee and seek shelter in the mountains, but they soon become surrounded by lava as it spews from the ground. This is where your journey starts as you make your way to the heart of the mountains to help those spirits in need of rescuing.

After being told by some of the creatures of the Energy realm that there are more trapped in the mountain, you leave the Energy realm and head to the forest in the Matter realm. Here you’ll find a bit of information about which buttons to use through the game (Xbox360 game pad shown in my case and I believe PlayStation pads are also supported).

As you make your way through the game you’ll come across many obstacles in your way. Not all of these will look

possible to pass at first, but you can swap between the two worlds. In doing so you’ll reveal things which you can’t

see in one world but can in another, such as white balls of light, which you’ll find in the matter realm but not in the

energy realm, or platforms that you’ll only see when in the energy realm.

The white balls of light are little portals which will transport you to another nearby portal. You can use these to overcome anything in your way, like vines of thorns which are too long to jump over, or any other obstacles which come your way, by jumping from portal to portal. The platforms in the energy realm can be used to jump somewhere, or as a platform to reach somewhere else. There are several different types of platforms; some stay still, others can move, some you can use as a springboard to reach higher places or to make that extra big jump going forward.

You’ll have to master the use of both the portals and platforms if you’re to get any where in the game, which would be easy if they were separate from each other, but that’s not the case. Throughout the game you’ll find them both together, you will have to swap between realms regularly to find a pathway. So, you’ll have to maybe jump through a portal, then swap realms in mid air and land on a platform, then swap back in order to jump through another portal!  All while remembering that if you’re on a platform in the energy realm, and you swap to the matter realm, then you won’t be standing on anything, so you’ll fall and maybe die.

Timing is a very important part of swapping between the two realms; you can’t instantly swap back and forth, as there is a bit of a delay before you can change again. You can double jump, however, and in doing so, you will gain that extra bit of time to swap again.  Also, in the energy realm, you’ll come across updrafts of wind, which are great for taking you higher if needed. Sometimes you’ll have to manoeuvre past obstacles as you float upwards, while other times there’s not a lot of room to float upwards and the ceiling may have thorns protruding from it. In these cases you’ll have to float as high as possible, then swap to the matter world. You will then fall down, as there’s no updraft in that realm, but a quick jump while falling at the lowest point possible, and then quickly swapping to the energy realm and it’s updraft, may just get you through; timing needs to be perfect though.

There are other obstacles you’ll have to overcome as you progress through the game, becoming harder as you go along. You’ll find checkpoints throughout the levels; these can be found in handy places either just before or after certain points of possible difficulties, so you don’t have to go all the way back to the start of that level. Along the way you can collect balls of energy (eighty-two in total) which can be found around each level, and there are also parts of the story to uncover.

                                                                                

On the main menu you’ll find settings, where you’ll find Volume Control, and if needed, you can also change Language. Also on the main menu, there’s Extra, which contains Skins (ten different cat skins to unlock to change the look of your cat), Story (there’s three parts of the story to unfold here) and Speed Competition, where you’ll see your best times in completing one of the thirteen levels.  Load can also be found here, for you to select a level at any time should you wish to; it will also show you how many collectibles you have collected so far from each level. Continue, New Game and Exit Game conclude everything on the main menu.

Wenjia is a fantastic game; both realms mirror each other and yet are still different, and both with awesome hand-drawn graphics, along with a great soundtrack, which gives the game a wonderful atmosphere as your journey unfolds. It can be challenging at some points in the game, but I still enjoyed playing the game immensely.

Review written by Piston Smashed™ for Zeepond.com!

 


Positives

+ Enjoyable game
+ Simple game play but challenging
+ Awesome hand-drawn graphics
+ Great music and sounds
+ Achievements

Negatives

- No cards

Review Summary

Travel freely between the realms of Matter and Energy as you venture out to rescue spirits trapped within the heart of a mountain.

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Zeepond Rating: 8/10

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