Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams

[Nz17]

Long story short: an awesome new 3D Giana Sisters game, 10x better than what we got on Nintendo DS, to be made available as a digital download on Windows first with later XBLA and PSN releases. Backers of the developer's Kickstarter for Project Giana can get a physical collector's release of the game including all the digital goodies.

A very good looking, playable demo is already available. New moves include "dash" which moves you upward and "twirl" which causes you to float gently across the fields. What's neat is that whenever you switch moves you switch "worlds" from a dream version to a nightmare version. The heavy metal soundtrack is spectacular!

[Aussie2B]

Hmm, I'm interested, but I'd prefer a detailed, high-res 2D game over a 3D game. And that art at the beginning of the page is pretty horrendous. Definitely not cute and charming like Pikomi's art in the DS game.

But if I'm not mistaken, it takes a pledge of at least $60 to get a physical copy of the game? Pretty damn pricey, and the formats don't appeal to me in the first place. I don't want a digital download or a PC game, gimme a full-fledged console or handheld release. Although I realize that a game like this probably couldn't be released like that these days, sad to say.

Oh, and I'm a little skeptical about it being a new company and with the creator of Giana Sisters being dead. I don't know how well they'll carry on his vision or how many people on the team have any past experience with the series.

[joshnickerson]

Not a fan of the art style, but I do enjoy the world switching mechanic they got going on here. My concern would be if they would be able to keep your interest with it throughout the whole game.

[Aussie2B]

After hemming and hawing about this, I ended up registering for Kickstarter and pledging $100, haha. What can I say, I guess I have a soft spot for Giana ever since the charming little DS game. I saw a table that broke down the various rewards, and at $100, it actually seemed like a decent value. A physical copy of the game, a physical copy of the soundtrack, a physical copy of the art book, a pin, a mousepad, an autographed poster, and a t-shirt. Not too bad. The rest of the physical rewards aren't worth the huge jumps in price, plus I don't even like some of them that much (like I prefer the solid color t-shirts with the Giana silhouette over the full-color shirts with the ugly art).

Anyway, I'm really glad they met the goal. It's a shame that they were less than $10,000 away from $200,000, but it seems like they intend to make the extra levels and other content available eventually anyway. And I think they're still taking PayPal pledges, so maybe they can still hit $200,000.

[Nz17]

I wish I could have pledged, but financial restraints meant I could not. However I am looking forward to seeing what the completed game has to offer and if it is good enough, buying a copy at that time.

[Nz17]

I actually ended up pre-ordering this game through Good Old Games just days before it launched. Sadly that meant I didn't get the extra Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams costumes for the crowdfunders, but it is still a very good game.

The game starts with an easy introduction to things in the first three stages and then the "true game" begins. That is to say, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams doesn't "tutorial you to death" (the early levels actually have no text for the instructions, just graphical signboards) and then the challenge is underway. The stage of the first boss level was actually quite challenging but it never felt like the game was being unfair or cheating, and the actual boss took quite some strategizing and learning to defeat. I spent 42 lives on that level alone!

[Aussie2B]

It's a shame that they couldn't have the physical rewards ready for at least shipping on the release date. I got my download link and all, of course, but I haven't even bothered to install it since I'm playing other stuff at the moment.

[Nz17]

It's a shame that they couldn't have the physical rewards ready for at least shipping on the release date.

Yeah, it is nice when all the difficult works pays in all ways all at the same time. But the development studio is small so I suppose occasional delays for material productions like this are to be expected.

I got my download link and all, of course, but I haven't even bothered to install it since I'm playing other stuff at the moment.

I understand what you mean. I know I've purchased more than ten games this month alone and we're nowhere near the end of the year. Sadly this will definitely cause Giana Sisters 3 to be overlooked by many gamers, but perhaps this means that when the inevitable PSN/XBLA release happens that it will get all the attention it deserves during the less busy 67% of the year.