Shine — Journey ofLight
A beautiful moonlit adventure
$2.99 From Fox and Sheep, shine-game.com
Made for iPhone, iPad Needs iOS 9 or later
Shine — Journey of Light is not a hard game, but it’s still absolutely worth your time. It begins with a mystical story of sorts: the stars in the night sky are given their gleam by Moonies. One day the Moonies disappear; as the last remaining one, you have to find them and restore light to the inky blackness.
The gameplay is simple. Your Moonie moves forward by itself; tap the screen and it floats higher. You must traverse tunnels, caves, and underwater paths, collecting other Moonies as you go.
Shine is a joy to behold. The effect of your Moonie’s light illuminating the pitch darkness is magnificent, and each world is studded with fine detail. The soundtrack (by film composer Christian Maier) is beautiful, soaring at just the right moments, while the sound design has clearly been crafted with care. Wear headphones to truly appreciate it.
It’s a shame, then, that the gameplay isn’t always up to scratch. Each level is beaten in much the same way as the last, and it doesn’t present much of a challenge. It’s not all bad, though. The level design is solid, with plenty of creative obstacles for you to surmount, while some Moonies are placed at such a distance that you almost give up hope of ever reaching them — and then you make it. That kind of suspense is rare.
Shine is a forgiving, easy–going game; that’s great if you want to relax, but not so much if you’re up for a challenge.
the bottom line. This is one of the best looking (and sounding) games we’ve played in a long time. Alex Blake