Just in time for the holidays, we’re reviewing a Metroidvania game that stars…Ebenezer Scrooge? That’s right, the grumpy man from A Christmas Carol has his own video game, thanks to the folks at Orbit Studio and Play On Worlds.
Ebenezer and the Invisible World is, ahem, a spirited adventure, one that rolls with the classic story and actually does something new and interesting with it. That’s not to say it’s flawless by any means, as we did run into a number of bugs that put a slight humbug over the proceedings.
Still, if it’s an interesting Christmas game you’re after, or you just can’t get enough of the Metroidvania genre, you could certainly do worse than this Dickens of a tale.
Gotta Love Those Spirits
In the game, which follows the events of the book, Ebenezer is much nicer than the old curmudgeon he used to be, and now uses his abilities to connect between the real world and the spirit one. With that, he decides to help others, as spirits once helped him, defeating enemies, solving puzzles and helping people see the better of their ways.
It’s a neat idea, and one that centers around an even greedier man than Scrooge, the evil Caspar Malthus. But not to worry, Scrooge – along with a few of his ghostly pals, push to make things right.
There’s some neat gameplay elements here. While Ebenezer’s cane attack leaves a bit to be desired (a sword, it ain’t), the abilities he picks up with his spirit friends are really cool, and help add some range to his techniques. I do wish the backwards dash was a little more refined, however, as it can sometimes lead to mistakes and isn’t as neatly executed as, say, Symphony of the Night.
That said, there are some bugs. Not enough as there were at the time of the game’s launch, but still a few notable ones that can hamper your adventurous spirit. Hopefully, the developers will plan to fix these as well, so that good ol’ Scrooge can have the merriest of holidays.
As it stands, however, this isn’t a bad adventure at all – and it makes me wonder what other classic heroes and villains would make for a good continuation in game form.
A Good Looking Christmas Adventure, Mind the Bugs
Again, if you can get past the glitches that can occasionally pop in the way, you’ll enjoy how Ebenezer and the Invisible World comes across visually.
The sprites look really well done, and I’m also a fan of the lighting – when you’re not destroying lanterns, that is. Plus I really enjoyed the well animated spirits that lend a hand here and there, too. The level design is pretty good, though doesn’t go too over the top, like previous games in the genre. Fortunately, some of the boss battles, which are quite good, make up for it.
As for the music, it’s okay, but hardly amazing, as it doesn’t really take advantage of the general Christmas theme. At least the sound effects are capable, with lots of good “thwacks” and other battle effects. I would’ve liked more voiceovers though.
Learning the Error of Its Ways?
I do wish Ebenezer and the Invisible World got a little bit more polish with its latest patch, so that the bugs couldn’t be so overwhelming. But if you can look past those – and accept the fact that Ebenezer Scrooge, of all people, got his own Metroidvania game – then you’ll find some good entertainment out of Ebenezer and the Invisible World.
It’s got a great story, and its combat is better than you might think, even with that weird backward dash. Plus the game looks pretty good, even if its standards are slightly lower than other games in the genre.
If you’re down for a Christmas adventure, this just might be worth the journey. But just be ready – dealing with these ghosts isn’t as smooth as you might believe. But that’s the way Scrooge just had it, didn’t he…?
GAMERHUB RATING: THREE (out of FIVE) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to the developers for the review code!
