Embers of Mirrim

As an avid Film Junk fan, I had to pick the game up in support of Dirty Frank. Like Frank, I won't let my fandom impact my review. So let's dive in.
What I like
+ The splitting mechanic is interesting and different.
+ The few songs there are on the soundtrack are pretty good
+ Game runs like a dream for me (no problems so far)
+ Controls work fairly well
What I didn't like
- Game feels short (Having finished it in around 3 hours, I can safely say it is)
- Environments are pretty bland and there is no real reason for exploration
- Story is meh (characters don't emote really at all)
- Playing for a long period of time can make hands cramp (have to hold down triggers and use both joysticks a lot)
- $$$, game seems slightly overpriced, especially given alternative options like Hollow Knight, Owlboy, Ori, Rayman, etc.
- Camera: At times the camera moves to fit everything on screen which can make seeing your character tough.
- The last 3rd of the game is pretty badly designed.
Overall, pick up this game if you've already hit all the staples of platformers out there. There's enough here to have some fun with, but the game features a ton of drawbacks. Overall I wasn't blown away.
5.5/10

- original and creative platformer with a very nice puzzle-mechanic.
- the art-style is nice as well - it´s a 2,5D platformer!
- the controls are direct and work well. using both thumbs to control 2 "characters" is sometimes a little brain-melting, because you have to look at 2 different points and sometimes even move different directions. good training for hand-eye-coordination though. ;) take a break every now and then, your hands will want one... i played 2:15 hours and had to take a break for a bit.
- the game can get hard sometimes, but it is all possible to do. i didn´t rage once and wanted to get further. it kept being fun!
- the audio-effects sound good as well and the soundtrack fits too (very chill music)
this game also shows, what a developer can actually do with unity, when they make a real game and not one of the many assett-flips and put effort in their project!
i didn´t finish the game yet (almost 2,5hrs played at the time of writting this review!) or have any idea, how far i´m in already, so i can´t really say if the price is ok or not...

I've been craving a linear platformer and this really scratched the itch. While I enjoy metroidvanias, I feel like I 've been inundated with them of late and I wanted something a little simpler and straightforward, like the NES platformers of yesteryear.
Embers of Mirrim is a very polished puzzle platformer with heavy emphasis on platforming and navigating between sections and light emphasis on puzzle elements. The splitting mechanic adds variety, and the game continues to introduce other small elements to keep the game fresh throughout.
The graphics are very gorgeous; the game's aesthetic is a little like Ori and the Blind Forest (but again, whereas that is a metroid clone, this is a linear platformer). Definitely recommend this game to anyone who wants a solid platforming experience with some unique elements.

I will say this right off the bat: If you are into puzzle platformers that require skilled hand eye coordination and quick thought reflexes, then this is the game for you! Also, you must own an XBox compatable controller to play this game. And now, into the thick of it...
Being in my mid 30's I found certain parts of this game to be extremely frustrating, mainly because of the hand-eye coordination required in moving 2 different objects in opposite patterns at the same time. Regardless of that, I had an extremely fun time trying to overcome the challenges presented in each area. Be it running from growing vines, a giant worm out of a Dune novel, or a crazy insect that insta-gibs as soon as it sees you move: Embers was able to continuously present new challenges and puzzles without making them seem stale and overused.
On the down side, because there are no spoken dialog, you have to infer the story as it progresses along by watching the cut scenes and interactions between the cat/bat & cat/squirrel hybrids. If my knuckles had not started to hurt after the 3hr mark, I would have continued streaming this game until completion.
Well worth my time playing and well worth the price! I recieved my key for free, but would consider this $20 well spent!

What’s up with all these awesome indie games coming out of nowhere? Embers of Mirrim may just be one of the best platformers I’ve played this decade and before last week I had never even heard of it. While I hate to describe a game by using other games I will quickly throw it out there that this is a unique blending of Ori, Brothers, Entwined, and Ikaruga. If you have played any or all of these games then you’ll have a point of reference as I try to clumsily describe this masterpiece with my inadequate words.
When Embers of Mirrim begins we find ourselves in this giant cavern as packs of dark and light cat-like creatures called Mirrim assemble before a god-like being who looks a lot like Grumpy Cat with deer antlers. After a mystical ceremony complete with visions the creatures split in opposite directions. As you take control of the dark Mirrim you start running to the left – a jarring experience for platformer veterans who are used to always going to the right- and you can revel in the graceful animations and silky framerate as you run, jump, and ground-pound your way through a level full of cliffs and raging white water that is clearly designed to get you comfortable with the controls. Soon, you will take control of the white Mirrim, and this time you are running to the right, enjoying the same mobility as well as an extended jump with a glide mechanic that will prove useful almost immediately.
After these solo levels the Mirrim will fuse together into a single creature, not only enjoying the abilities of both but also able to split apart into Embers, disembodied spheres of green and purple energy that can float for short periods of time before reassembling. This is where the fun and the real game kicks off. You can only stay in ember form for a few seconds, but there are glowing orbs that will reset that timer and also color-coded energy meshes where you can remain in ember form indefinitely. All of these elements as well as a neutral orange mesh where you can only exist in Mirrim form all combine to create an ever-increasing set of environmental and navigational platform puzzles that will put your multi-tasking skills to the ultimate test.
For those who played Brothers and are familiar with controlling two independent “characters” simultaneously with twin analog sticks, you already have a head start on the mental discipline required to play this game. Embers of Mirrim does a fantastic job of easing you into the increasing challenge of the binary puzzle designs. At first you must simply pass through colored wall meshes or traverse large gaps by using sequences of green and purple orbs to keep your ember form active until you reach the opposite side. But all too soon you’ll find yourself going through mazes where you must keep your embers within a certain proximity while simultaneously navigate different maze corridor patterns for each color. If you get too far apart or your ember time runs out you reassemble at the start of the puzzle and try again.
The level of creativity is borderline genius. Early on you are running across a giant waterfall and these huge hollow tree trunks start spilling over the falls forcing you to go into ember mode and slip through these color coded patterns of orbs and meshes; basically standing in place but moving side to side as the tree passes falls around you. And it only gets more brilliant from there. There are even secret areas with constellation-like patterns that must be revealed by moving your sticks in equal and opposite patterns. Given the nature of the game design and the near constant demand of dual controls, a gamepad is required.
The game keeps gradually adding in more demanding use of your binary skills, forcing you to sprint, jump, then quickly shift to ember form, pass through an energy field then glide to a leaf then quickly leap from it before it curls up only to pass through colored orbs in ember form and quickly return to Mirrim form before you touch the orange mesh protecting the final ledge. Fail any portion of that and you do it all again. There is a potential for frustration, but the game seems to ramp the difficulty with your natural adaptation of the necessary skills to complete any given puzzle with one, two, or three attempts.
The brilliant game design is made even better thanks to some gorgeous visuals that keep getting better and more original with each new level. The camera moves in close one second then pulls out to where your Mirrim is a mere speck the next, providing an epic sense of scale. Textures are richly detailed and the colors are exquisite and the framerate never faltered, even at 4K resolution on my 1080ti card. Complementing the visuals is an outstanding score that provides an energetic and adventurous theme throughout the entire game and some nice environmental sound effects.
Embers of Mirrim is easily one of the most inspired platformers I’ve played on PC or console since Brothers back in 2013. While that was primarily an adventure game it is refreshing to see just how well this twin-stick mechanic can be integrated into an energetic platformer complete with mind-bending puzzles, thrilling boss fights, and white-knuckle escape sequences. If you are ready to split your brain and try to control two characters at once then you definitely don’t want to miss Embers of Mirrim. It’s a platformer like no other.

Platforming is not usually my favorite form of gaming but I have to admit I got hooked playing this. I was a little confused plot-wise by the short prologue (allthough it looks gorgeous) but once the gameplay began I was in. The mechanics work well and the art direction and music are very good.

This is, hands down, the most fun I've ever had playing a platformer. The controls are crisp, the mechanics are unique and well thought-out, it's visually attractive, and the music is great. The single biggest complaint I have about this game is that it's too short. I finished it in about 5 hours. I would love to have seen the kinds of puzzles they could have put in a longer game.
The difficulty curve isn't bad. It's hard enough to be satisfying, but doesn't get hard so fast that it's frustrating. There is one puzzle that uses a mechanic that isn't used anywhere else in the game, and it can be difficult to figure out what the game wants you to do, but other than that, the mechanics have good clarity and the puzzles are fairly intuitive.
Overall, this is a wonderful platforming experience that offers a unique take on the genre and I strongly recommend it to anyone that has any interest in platformers. I'd love to see potential expansion on this idea, as the game really left me wanting more.