The Spirit and the Mouse Review (CindyK_JA)
The Spirit and the Mouse is a truly lovely game. Detailed artwork, a wonderful soundtrack, a heart-warming story, and a lovable mouse.. who could ask for more?
The game is a 3D-exploratory adventure in which you control the Mouse and work with a spirit guardian named Lumion. Together, you assist residents of the Sainte-et-Claire village. You listen to their problems (which relate to power grid issues) and then solve them to bring happiness. Along the way you enlist the help of Kibblins who are minion-like electric spirits.
This is a platformer that is quite forgiving with no penalty for falling and precision only required to retrieve some collectibles. It is a joy to explore the many layers of the village, into crooks and crannies, and climbing high onto rooftops. For me, a controller worked much better than the keyboard and mouse.
Your journey is enhanced by gathering electricity which can be used to purchase maps, abilities, and clues. Resources are plentiful, as most re-spawn when you return to an area. For those who enjoy collectibles, there are 137 light bulbs to discover. A journal provides quest notes and summaries and a map (once acquired) is handy for navigation while you learn the lay of the land. The game auto-saves very often so you can exit at any time with no loss of progress.
Achievements are earned by finishing story-based tasks and collecting electricity and light bulbs. There are a couple that might be missed so completionists may want to review achievement descriptions before playing. There is no pressure, as you have a final option to end the game or circle back for anything overlooked.
There is enough dialog to support the story but it is short and sweet. Instead of voice overs, the characters speak a gibberish which is easy to listen to.
I really loved this game. Had I not played a demo last year, I might have missed an uplifting journey that was well worth the time spent. In a crazy world, it is truly special to spend some hours in a village where kindness is a priority. I highly recommend The Spirit and the Mouse to adventurers looking for a wholesome (and entertaining) experience that will make you smile and cry.