Giana Sisters: Rise of the Owlverlord

When I first found out about Owlverlord I was wondering if it it's an Expansion or a Sequel. Now I still don't know, it's just both and neither at the same time! In terms of content it fits the definition of Expansion more, but I like that you can just buy it separately if you want to skip out on Twisted Dreams. The game difficulty was defaulting to Hard Mode and it's the difficulty that unlocks all the other extra modes, so my review is based on my experiences of playing through it on hard. I was expecting for the game to be easier, but I was surprised that difficulty-wise the game starts where Twisted Dreams left off! The physics and hitboxes are as wonky as they were in Twisted Dreams. However, the level design has improved significiantly. They're a lot more creatively laid out and don't feel repetetive and strictly segmented anymore. Every element is put in new and exciting combinations. Like I said, the difficulty escalates quickly and you'll be forced to adapt to advanced techniques quickly. The game tries to bring newcomers up to speed with tutorial text clutter, but as I see it, it does so sloppily. It's one of those games that are short but difficult. In a way it squeezes Twisted Dreams' three worlds into just one. The graphics are as pretty as they ever were, but are still strangely taxating to my PC. At least on the the few moments the frame rate suffers it never drops below 30. The new level art and themes with the airships and all are also appreciated. The soundtrack is also fantastic still and the new music is a delight to listen to. To sum it all up, Giana Sisters: Rise of the Owlverlord is alright and does a lot of things better than befor, but didn't change anything in its questionable physics. If you played through Twisted Dreams and still want more, this game is recommended. Twisted Dreams and Owlverlord together with the holiday levels has a little over 30 levels. If I got to beat them all, then the games must've done something right!