Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is a platforming game where you play as a pair of characters that can switch on the fly, changing the environment, the enemies, and in a lot of parts the available collectible crystals. Crystal collecting and switching are at the core of this game, and not much else.
Navigate levels by jumping and either spinning, which turns the character into a kind of cannon ball that can break walls or attack enemies; or twisting, which allows the character to descend slowly and with more control after a jump.
The levels are long, boring, and not especially challenging, though a few will be tougher and longer. The switching mechanic adds to the challenge, but ultimately, like a lot of this game, can get tedious quickly.
The ropey controls are part of the challenge. The controller support is good, I think that the problem is in the design. The directional pad or analogue sticks give the same responsiveness. The characters have a loose feeling to how they move, so things can feel a little imprecise. For a game that depends on tight controls it can become frustrating very fast.
The camera tracking isn't great either, in spots showing little enough to navigate a jump or see an enemy you might unintentionally run into. Panning and tracking can be too iffy, and some of the deaths I encountered came from camera mischief.
Dying in this game isn't strictly punished, though the scoring system is affected. The Scoring in this game is very strange, and in order to unlock further levels you will need to score stars. Stars are scored by finishing levels with a lot of crystals and few deaths. There are a LOT of crystals, and the more deaths you have the lower your stars will be by the end of the stage.
This is where the game shows its greatest weakness. As a platformer it is mediocre, tedious, and the pace is grueling. Finishing a stage takes patience, not only with the camera and controls, but with the boredom.
