Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Review

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is a 2012 platform game by Black Forest Games. It is one of the best and most difficult recent platformers.

The gameplay is extraordinary here. The concept is genius not only in approach, but in execution which doesn’t disappoint. By shifting from cute to punk Giana, you always need to change quickly because the pace is quick and the enemies are always demanding. But both the movements from the two characters are superb with cute Giana’s movements being intended for slower and more leisurely falls and jumps and punk Giana’s movements being used for attacking and running through obstacles.

The bosses are superb with the last one naturally being the most difficult. The first one is great for having a chase first and then a fight and although it is not as demanding, it is pretty good having in mind it’s the first. The second boss is an octopus and it is phenomenal not only in its moves but also in level design. And of course the last boss is terrific. That dragon is incredibly difficult to beat and it got me at least a good 40 minutes or so of repeated attempts to successfully get past him. It has many obstacles in it and it progressively gets more frustrating and not to mention the fact that you are supposed to constantly be alarmed and moving and the right combination of moves gets you past this. It is so ridiculously hard and I loved it for that.

I liked the concept of the game. Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams has three worlds of which the first one is pretty easy, but the second is difficult and the third one is frustrating from time to time. But in order to unlock the levels, you have to find the required amount of collectibles of the previous levels. The last level of the game is somewhat hard to unlock and requires many repeated plays of the previous levels and only of the last world which makes the situation much more demanding. I liked how the diamonds are so well hidden and I liked the many secret passages present here.

Yes, the level design truly is fascinating. I respect the game for making it really difficult to find all of the collectible items and that is achieved by having great designs with perfectly hidden passages and even having the whole, vast areas filled with them. Almost all levels are worth revisiting and are so beautifully constructed.

The graphics is also fantastic. I liked its colorful approach and the difference between the two modes is clear and distinct with the one being very colorful and bright and the other being moody and dark. But it is always pleasing to the eye and so beautiful with phenomenal backgrounds and excellent 2D mechanics.

The score is absolutely amazing and one of the highlights of the game. It is always so catchy and filled with many memorable themes. The distinction between the two modes is again distinct and greatly achieved with the one being more soft and the other being more metal. But it is always great to listen to and the theme at the end of the level in particular is so catchy and immensely satisfying to hear at the finish line of each demanding journey.

The plot is typical and simplistic, but well handled with great beginning and end. The character design is superb and the two girls are super cute. The game is pretty coherent and has a great repeat value and can be played over and over again. The enemies are also phenomenal and so well designed and the sound effects and especially score is unforgettable.

The flaws here are twofold. First, the game has its bugs and some of those can be incredibly infuriating and just so frustrating. That was a big minus. And also the graphics aren’t as variable as I wanted it to be and the video game is awfully short with just three worlds to be played. But that doesn’t change the fact that this platformer is easily one of the more difficult and naturally one of the best genre games of recent years. Without any doubt.