GENRE
	Puzzle Platformer
	DEVELOPER
	Over The Top Games
	PUBLISHER
	Over The Top Games
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Sometimes WiiWare brings unimaginable gems to Wii owners-- games like World of Goo and Mega Man 9. Other times, the service brings games that should be avoided like the plague, such as Sexy Poker or Pop. But there's another class of games, those that are interesting and will appeal to a certain crowd but aren't for everyone. NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits is most definitely one of these titles.

The game places players in the position of Nyx, an angelic character who is tasked with wandering through various Grecian areas in search of her missing friend, Icarus. It seems that the titan Helios has become angry and decided to scorch all life off of the surface of the Earth. Even the gods are unable to stop him. While the story is presented throughout the entirety of the adventure, it is never really compelling. It doesn't create empathy for the characters, and by the end, players will probably just be confused about the whole thing. Thankfully, the story segments are short and don't distract from the gameplay.

Unfortunately, brevity is something that the game suffers from throughout. The ending comes so abruptly that players may even ask aloud, "It's over?" The entire quest, including the bonus dungeon, can be completed in as little as three hours. While a few levels are lengthy due to trial-and-error -- the Field of Argus is a particular example -- most can be completed in under 15 minutes once the puzzles have been figured out.

That's not to say that the levels are bad. In general, the level design is clever and will give players a sense of accomplishment when they figure out a particularly tricky puzzle. And yes, there are a lot of puzzles in this game.

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits is a puzzle platformer. Nyx starts out her quest with only the ability to glide and "fly" by using her wings to jump five times. As she progresses, the gods give her the ability to telekinetically move objects, to affect wind streams, and, finally, to shoot lightning bolts. Each power feels right and none of the powers ever breaks the game. Unfortunately, players cannot use later powers in earlier levels, so it's a little offsetting when going back to an earlier level to seek out hidden, secret items.

Yet there is one major control flaw with the game, and that's the inclusion of the run button. Nyx moves through the stages at a slow pace that can be moderately increased by holding down the Z button. Unfortunately, the Z button is also the button that causes Nyx to glide, meaning that when the ground occasionally falls out from beneath her during regular movement, she starts to glide, slowing her progress. While run buttons have been used in many games before, there are other buttons that run could have been mapped to that would have made sense. It's truly frustrating to fall into a pit at the last minute because Nyx started gliding too early.

Another major frustration comes in the last few levels of the game. During these stages, judging what spots are safe to land on becomes increasingly hard, because the game world has steadily grown darker with the approaching night. Thankfully, major hazards are illuminated by fire, but players can expect to unexpectedly land on burning sand at least once, if not more, in these latter levels.

Darkness aside, the art style of the game is beautiful, capturing the feel of a mythological epic. While Nyx's character model could have been better defined and her movement smoothed out, it's really a non-issue. The camera pulls back often to take in the surrounding area, and to hint at puzzle solutions. The music is minimalist at best. While it sounds appropriately Mediterranean, it would have been nice to have more music throughout the game instead of the same lilting tune peppered throughout the adventure.

There are many drawbacks to NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits, and they make this a tough game to recommend, especially with a 1000 Wii Point asking price. But players looking for a slow-paced platformer full of puzzles will definitely enjoy the experience. Others, however, may want to check out LostWinds.

6.2/10