Wenjia Xbox One review: A gorgeous platformer that sadly lacks depth

The 2022 platformer Ori and the Bullheaded Wood was an incredible hitting, dazzling the gaming community with superb art direction, gorgeous music, and fantabulous gameplay. As I played through Wenjia, a new platformer for Xbox Ane, it became clear to me that it was heavily inspired by Ori. Unfortunately, while it achieves similar quality in graphics, it lacks just about everything else. Equally a outcome, Wenjia feels underwhelming and overpriced.

See at Microsoft

Swap betwixt realities

In Wenjia, yous play every bit a kitten that has to reach and rescue spirits from volcanic eruption following a massive earthquake. In society to traverse the vegetation-ridden landscape of the wood, you need to make use of basic jumping mechanics equally well as the unique power to change between a "lite" and "nighttime" reality. These different dimensions are by and large the same, but at that place are primal differences depending on which level y'all're on. For example, where a ledge might be covered in spikes in the light reality, at that place volition exist a log that you lot can jump on instead in the dark i.

This is just one example; throughout the game, yous'll discover how you'll need to switch between the dimensions in gild to progress past each puzzle. While I honey this mechanic, information technology was underutilized, and the game rarely always got artistic with the obstacles it was presenting me with. Wenjia is also merely a few hours long, and when the credits rolled, I felt like I would take been disappointed if I'd purchased it and hadn't received a review re-create. The game should cost $9.99, not $14.99.

Cute merely buggy

In terms of graphics, Wenjia is gorgeous. Featuring colorful environments, a singled-out paint-like fine art fashion, and loftier quality visual effects, it's the definition of "like shooting fish in a barrel on the eyes." The musical score is too solid, although at that place isn't a wide enough variety of soundtracks. Several of the levels utilize the same music, and it tin can exist a bit annoying to hear the same song five or six times.

When it comes to operation, Wenjia is a mixed bag. The title mostly runs fine on Xbox I, although there are instances where the framerate will dip or the screen will momentarily freeze. This can end up getting you killed if it happens during a crucial jump or while you lot're trying to time a dimension switch, just it'due south a rare occurrence. More problematic is the way that the levels can sometimes glitch out, which allows you to safely traverse terrain that is intended to kill you lot if you touch it (as seen in the epitome above). This takes all the challenge out of said level, which in turn takes the fun of beating it out completely.

Should yous buy Wenjia?

Ultimately, I recollect it would be best to pass on Wenjia. While the visuals are great, it's too short and there's besides little depth in the gameplay to justify the price. When y'all consider that the game's levels also break and that there are some performance bug every bit well, you would exist meliorate off spending the actress $four.99 to become Ori and the Bullheaded Forest.

Pros:

Gorgeous visuals.
Solid mechanical foundation.
Music itself is good.

Cons:

Average gameplay.
Glitchy levels.
Non enough music multifariousness.

Wenjia is available on Xbox One for $fourteen.99.

Run across at Microsoft

Nosotros may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Larn more.

The problem for a consumer HoloLens was always the lack of Windows Phone

History catches up

The trouble for a consumer HoloLens was always the lack of Windows Telephone

What is the hereafter for Microsoft (and Windows) mixed reality? The latest report from Business organisation Insider sheds some low-cal, but this all comes back to 1 major problem for Microsoft: No mobile Windows Os. Just what almost a future headset that is deject-based? Some thoughts on what could happen for Microsoft mixed reality.