Sometimes simplicity in gaming is refreshing. Complex button layouts and mashing strategies can lead to weary thumbs and gaming burnout. Shio offers simple gameplay, and attempts to build an intriguing oneiric atmosphere, but the gameplay never fleshes out into something satisfying. The world of Shio is initially intriguing, but never fully engages the player. Despite this, the level design shows thought, and the soundtrack is incredible.
Shio’s gameplay revolves entirely around jumping with the cross or circle button. The titular character traverses through a 2D environment, platforming with the help of a trusty lantern that they use to light other, bigger lanterns, that propel the player up and over dangerous obstacles. A bit of lore explains that this is due to the rapid expansion of gases within the lantern as they are lit. It’s a thoughtful explanation, the logic of which seems out of place when the death of the player turns them into a wisp that gets transported to another, smaller lantern that the player then pops out of. It’s sort of like when Dumbledore activates his Deluminator.
The platforming obstacles will be familiar to most gamers. There are cannons that shoot fireballs, spinning wheels of death, and surfaces that incinerate players who linger too long. By the time the levels start to peak in complexity, Shio almost feels like a rhythm game, but only mapped to one button. It’s like playing a single bongo. It sounds cool, but there’s only so much to be gained.
Shio’s level design does shine for how simple the game is. Completing a section feels pretty satisfying but is not particularly memorable. The sense of achievement is boosted by a little counter (on a lantern) at the end of the section that gives players the time it took for them to make a complete run (not the total time it took), and how many times they died in the attempt. At the end of one particularly hard section early on, I whooped a little when I saw I had beat the standard time, and then immediately deflated when I saw I had died 34 times. So… we’ll call that a draw.
Through out the game, lore is revealed in the player’s notebook. Shio reveals portions of the notebook by un-redacting pages or sections, which does look cool. The lore is very well-written, but the type is a little small, and the length of the unlocked sections feels just a little too long for the pace of the game. The lore starts to reveal the strange dream-like world players are inhabiting, but as the game went on I found less and less motivation to read the lore – due to the length and small type, which again, does not detract from the high quality of writing present in these collectibles.
The soundtrack for the game deserves special mention, as it perfectly paired with the gameplay, without being overpowering. While typing the review I left the game running in the background, just to listen to these sweet tunes. While Shio’s world never seems to fully engage, the soundtrack does a lot of working in creating the game’s atmosphere.
Recommendation:
Shio works as a simple 2D platformer, but it lacks a strong hook to motivate players to finish the game. The gameplay was simple, and the levels well designed, but there never came a moment where it elevated beyond simplicity into something memorable. Perhaps the game would translate well into the mobile market. Clearly there are talented creators behind this game, and the final product will appeal to niche genre fans who will enjoy the challenge, but it’s not something to recommend to the wider PlayStation player base.
Shio was provided to the reviewer by the publishing company but this fact did not alter the reviewer’s opinion.
Check out our Review Guide to see what we criteria we use to score games.
