Reverie – PS Vita

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Title:  Reverie
Developer:  Rainbite Limited
Publisher:  Rainbite Limited
Website:  http://rainbite.net/
Genre:  Adventure, Puzzle
Platform:  PS Vita
Audience:  All
Price:  £9.99 and it is crossplay with the PlayStation 4.  I was very kindly provided with a review code for this game.

What the developers say:

Features:

Six dungeons to fight and puzzle your way through.
Use unique weapons and items to solve puzzles and defeat menacing bosses.
Explore varied environments and find the secrets of Toromi Island.
Collect hidden feathers from New Zealand’s many beautiful native birds.
A story inspired by a Maori legend.

Introduction

The game opens with a video explaining the story of the Maori folktale of Māui and the Giant Fish on which the game is based.

The main character is a young boy called Tai who instantly reminded me of Ash from Pokemon.  He is spending his summer vacation with his grandparents and dog, on the Island of Toromi.  Very quickly he discovers that this isn’t going to be your typical summer holiday!

Restless spirits are taking over the island, and our young hero finds himself exploring dangerous dungeons and discovering a variety of environments in which he will need to put the souls to rest.

There’s an earthquake, the likes of which hasn’t been experienced since you were a young lad.  Your Grandpa then states that is must be the restless souls of Toromi Island and that he has felt their power building for years.  The family lantern breaks in the earthquake, so you have to go to the shop to get another.  You buy the lantern and return home.

You never know what you’ll encounter when angry spirits are loose…

You’re then sent to the basement to look for an old book.  This is where the adventure begins.  The basement, technically the game’s first dungeon, is the easiest and gives you a relatively simple introduction to the challenges that lay ahead.  There are simple puzzles to solve and weak enemies, rats, spiders and wasps, to defeat.  It is here that you come across the first cursed spirit, a possessed tumble dryer!

I enjoyed the sense of humour in the game. I met a young lad called Rick who was “never going to give up” jogging and another beach bum called Dundee who enjoyed wearing his “budgie smugglers” around on a hot day!  Zinny’s mobile cafe also made me chuckle; the sign reads open 24/7 – Although I didn’t see it open once!

Time to explore…

The map is vast and offers a variety of landscapes to explore.  How you travel around the island varies.  You can walk, roll, rollerblade or swim.  You can interact with the people and the animals!

I enjoyed the weapons and gadgets in this game.  It reminded me of when I was young, using whatever I could find to embark on epic adventures in the forests with my mates.  A particular favourite was my pet rock!  He did come in handy, especially when I was stuck between a…rock and a hard place!

As you would expect, the last dungeon is the biggest and will be the most challenging.  You will need to use all of the weapons, skills and abilities that you’ve picked up along the way.

In conclusion…

Reverie is a fun, rewarding game that will take you about 6-8 hours to complete. The game’s artistic style might make it seem like it has been designed for young children, but don’t be fooled. Some of the challenges and puzzles will have you working hard. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had to use a walkthrough for some of the problems.

There are many nods to New Zealand culture throughout the game, some of which as a Brit, I was oblivious to. However, I did enjoy using my trusty cricket bat to hit the enemies for 6!

Once you’ve completed the main game, you’ll want to return to the Island to discover more secrets, find all of the feathers and try to get the platinum trophy for the game.  I’ll certainly be returning to the Island of Toromi.

At £9.99, you can play on the PS Vita and PS4, The game offers excellent value for money.

Rapid Reviews Rating

Reverie is out now on the PS Store and can be purchased at the following link, https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP0809-CUSA11616_00-RAINBITESREVERIE