u/Furan_ring

I thought MIO was going to be a solid metroidvania. Bought this game based on visuals alone lol. It looked so unique and gorgeous that I figured that would make it worth it even if the game itself was just okay. And sure enough, it may be the most beautiful 2D game I've seen. But I ended up getting way more than I expected.

The music is amazing. This doesn't sound like an indie game. A lot of love went into every single song, from the main menu all the way to the ending, and they all perfectly convey what's shown on screen.

The world itself is so varied. So many settings full of color and themes. The world feels lived in, it feels alive.

The gameplay is exactly what one would expect for a metroidvania. Nothing revolutionary but solid.

But what really caught me off guard is the story. These kinds of games always have minimalistic, somewhat ambiguous but serviceable stories. However few strike the right balance of a minimalistic story that is also rich and enjoyable to figure out. There’s so much interesting lore, so many memorable characters that reveal little bits of information, so much environmental storytelling. The highlight are of course the voices. Despite barely showing up, their dialogue and body language is so full of personality, and you can feel their impact throughout the game. It was a delight to slowly understand everyone's motivations and events that led to this situation.

The themes of physical and mental decay, mortality and clinging on to lost causes are excellently portrayed.

And that end sequence (both of them) is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. It's simultaneously so full of despair and hope, and it perfectly shows how dire the situation is and what is at stake.

Easily one of the best games I've played in years.

I thought MIO was going to be a solid metroidvania. Bought this game based on visuals alone lol. It looked so unique and gorgeous that I figured that would make it worth it even if the game itself was just okay. And sure enough, it may be the most beautiful 2D game I've seen. But I ended up getting way more than I expected.

The music is amazing. This doesn't sound like an indie game. A lot of love went into every single song, from the main menu all the way to the ending, and they all perfectly convey what's shown on screen.

The world itself is so varied. So many settings full of color and themes. The world feels lived in, it feels alive.

The gameplay is exactly what one would expect for a metroidvania. Nothing revolutionary but solid.

But what really caught me off guard is the story. These kinds of games always have minimalistic, somewhat ambiguous but serviceable stories. However few strike the right balance of a minimalistic story that is also rich and enjoyable to figure out. There’s so much interesting lore, so many memorable characters that reveal little bits of information, so much environmental storytelling. The highlight are of course the voices. Despite barely showing up, their dialogue and body language is so full of personality, and you can feel their impact throughout the game. It was a delight to slowly understand everyone's motivations and events that led to this situation.

The themes of physical and mental decay, mortality and clinging on to lost causes are excellently portrayed.

And that end sequence (both of them) is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. It's simultaneously so full of despair and hope, and it perfectly shows how dire the situation is and what is at stake.

Easily one of the best games I've played in years.