Does this franchise deserve to be revered and revived?
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series brings back “Klonoa: Door to Phantomile” and “Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil” remastered in one collection to fans new and old. Get ready to set off on an adventure to save the world. Released initially in 1997 by Namco, Klonoa is a side-scrolling platformer featuring a colorful character roster and vibrant game world, it’s up to you as Klonoa to embark on a journey to save Phantomile. For the franchise’s momentous twenty-fifth birthday, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil are receiving the remaster treatment in a two-in-one set—titled KLONOA Phantasy Reverie Series slated to hit the Xbox Series X|S. The graphics have received an elegant revamp while Klonoa’s beloved world and classic gameplay have been faithfully preserved. The remaster also features an adjustable difficulty level, allowing franchise newcomers to delve right into the action, and long-time fans to get reacquainted with ease.
I have to admit that I actually hadn’t played the Klonoa games before, so it was interesting to see how they stacked up to other 90s platformers, especially when you think of the quality that was around the time with franchises like Super Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot, but with other big names like Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro merely a year away. Both Klonoa games handle and look the same in this remake collection, which is a good thing in one way since the platforming itself is handled well for an early 3D platformer and while it isn’t as solid as the other games I’ve already mentioned, it still manages to perform well overall.
The levels are simple in design and the remaster also manages to make things easier overall, which is always a good thing but the game itself is pretty easy even without the adjustable difficulty level, so it’s entirely up to you if you choose to use it or not. If there’s any complaint to be had with the game itself, its that you know what its all about after the first few levels and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it does mean that it lacks any surprises overall. But like I said, still a fun and functional platforming game overall.
The updated visuals are a nice addition, and the framerate holds up steadily throughout. The soundtrack is cute while simplistic, plus the load times are short and always a pleasant thing in a game where a quick death may lead to a long load screen, luckily that’s not the case here.
The Verdict
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a nice way for Namco to test the waters for the franchise and to see if it’s worth bringing back properly, but either way it brings back these two fun platformers to a new audience and that’s worth it alone.