This review contains spoilers
That title screen is a fucking lie.
Let me put this straight: the ending left me speechless. I knew what would happen but that didn't stop the gut-wrenching tidal wave of emotions from striking me right on in the face when Huepow said it was time for Klonoa to go 'back to his Phantomile'. Up until this point in the game you had to clue why the subtitle was named that way but at that very moment, the subtle themes and messages carefully hidden within the story blasts their way into your mind.
It all makes sense, really. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a game where the protagonist goes on a whimsical, dream-esque odyssey en route to where he truly belongs: his own reality. It speaks a message of how it's okay to encounter nightmares, as long as you have friends to support you through those rough times.
Ultimately, you can't live in a dream forever, and that's one hell of a reality check. Klonoa's unwillingness to return to his reality and saying goodbye to all the memories, memories he thought were real was heartbreaking; as was Huepow's reluctance and refusal to let the friend he's grown to genuinely care for leave his side forever. Adding onto the bittersweet, yet enchanting Song of Rebirth playing in the background, and suddenly you feel like Klonoa feels, too: this isn't how you want things to end. You want that happy ending so badly, but ultimately when everything is done, we have to move on, back to the regularity of reality. Sort of like... waking up from a nice dream.
In the end, however, what matters is the happiness and fondness for those dreams you once had, and how you cherish them.
Edit: turns out you could double jump without momentum. this game is officially near perfect. 9.5/10.
Let me put this straight: the ending left me speechless. I knew what would happen but that didn't stop the gut-wrenching tidal wave of emotions from striking me right on in the face when Huepow said it was time for Klonoa to go 'back to his Phantomile'. Up until this point in the game you had to clue why the subtitle was named that way but at that very moment, the subtle themes and messages carefully hidden within the story blasts their way into your mind.
It all makes sense, really. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a game where the protagonist goes on a whimsical, dream-esque odyssey en route to where he truly belongs: his own reality. It speaks a message of how it's okay to encounter nightmares, as long as you have friends to support you through those rough times.
Ultimately, you can't live in a dream forever, and that's one hell of a reality check. Klonoa's unwillingness to return to his reality and saying goodbye to all the memories, memories he thought were real was heartbreaking; as was Huepow's reluctance and refusal to let the friend he's grown to genuinely care for leave his side forever. Adding onto the bittersweet, yet enchanting Song of Rebirth playing in the background, and suddenly you feel like Klonoa feels, too: this isn't how you want things to end. You want that happy ending so badly, but ultimately when everything is done, we have to move on, back to the regularity of reality. Sort of like... waking up from a nice dream.
In the end, however, what matters is the happiness and fondness for those dreams you once had, and how you cherish them.
Edit: turns out you could double jump without momentum. this game is officially near perfect. 9.5/10.
ShinGenX
1 year ago