Another dream game, this one leaning more in the direction of Kingdom Hearts for me with the main character design and a vague sense of angst. The main point of inspiration is clearly Sailor Moon though, right down to the cheerful opening leading to horrible trauma at the end.

The game didn't really click for me until that ending, appropriate given that's the thing it's mostly known for. I can see how the opening levels can carry nostalgic emotions for those who've played it when they were kids, but they did nothing for me. The final couple of levels and bosses was where the vibes were the juiciest and the challenge ramps up just right, had me sweating.

I still think the gameplay potential of a 2D character interacting with a 3D environment is not fully explored here. The game strives hard to make every level streamlined, even where exploration is concerned. Maybe some water temple-esque challenges of interacting with mechanisms to achieve different results wouldn't have gone amiss. Balue's Tower wasn't it, I don't think Klonoa's controls are precise enough to warrant this kind of kaizo gameplay.

Prior to playing the game I thought I'd understand Klonoa's tragedy at the end. As a child I had to move with my parents a lot, changing neighborhoods, schools and, ultimately, friendships frequently. That experience, however, was never traumatic for me. Could that just be repressed? Could it be that I never had false expectations that I'd stay anywhere? I think the worst part was that Huepow lied, the little shit.

Hang in there Klonoa, you drifting soulmate you, that's just how it be sometimes.