2.5D Klonoa just never clicked for me and while this remaster finally got me through both games; I didn't have a ton of fun and it wasn't much more than a facelift.
I cannot tell you the amount of times I've tried to play Door to Phantomile over the last 25+ years. From original hardware, to emulation, to emulation handhelds, to emulation on Steam Deck... It was always a few levels and shelved. There was something there that kept me coming back for another attempt. I eventually found Klona happiness in Moonlight Museum for the WonderSwan and the two GBA games.
With this love of 2D Klonoa games; I was determined to find the fun in the more popular games. I force fed myself the Reverie Series. Door to Phantomile showed that the Reverie was just a facelift as quality-of-life in something as simple as the gem count was lacking. I ended up not going for the 100% I found so much fun in from the 2D entries. I beat it. I felt indifferent.
And after a month+ long break I just mainlined Lunatea's Veil. FFWD'ing cutscenes (the single QoL addition), going for no collectables. I had a lot more fun with this entry. The maps were more polished in the presentation, making the 2.5D make a little more sense. The puzzles had a hint of a challenge towards the end. But I was playing and beating it out of spite more than anything. And I didn't care for the repeated level angle to it.
I'm just a 2D Klonoa person in the end. It's me, not you 2.5D Klonoa. I'm sorry.
I cannot tell you the amount of times I've tried to play Door to Phantomile over the last 25+ years. From original hardware, to emulation, to emulation handhelds, to emulation on Steam Deck... It was always a few levels and shelved. There was something there that kept me coming back for another attempt. I eventually found Klona happiness in Moonlight Museum for the WonderSwan and the two GBA games.
With this love of 2D Klonoa games; I was determined to find the fun in the more popular games. I force fed myself the Reverie Series. Door to Phantomile showed that the Reverie was just a facelift as quality-of-life in something as simple as the gem count was lacking. I ended up not going for the 100% I found so much fun in from the 2D entries. I beat it. I felt indifferent.
And after a month+ long break I just mainlined Lunatea's Veil. FFWD'ing cutscenes (the single QoL addition), going for no collectables. I had a lot more fun with this entry. The maps were more polished in the presentation, making the 2.5D make a little more sense. The puzzles had a hint of a challenge towards the end. But I was playing and beating it out of spite more than anything. And I didn't care for the repeated level angle to it.
I'm just a 2D Klonoa person in the end. It's me, not you 2.5D Klonoa. I'm sorry.