Step into the paws of a brave cat raised by frogs, venturing through hand-drawn biomes to unravel the mystery of mechanical creatures threatening your tranquil world. Explore beautifully crafted environments inspired by classic animated tales from the 70s to the 90s.
Developed by: Why Knot Studio, Red Dunes Games
Played on: Steam
Length: 3 hours
A review key was provided by Red Dunes Games
Developed in collaboration between Malaysian-based Why Knot Studio and Abu Dhabi-based Red Dunes Games, Princess of the Water Lilies brings us into a world inspired by classic animated tales from the 70s to the 90s. In the game, you play as an adventurous cat raised by a family of magical frogs. But your peaceful days are disrupted when you and your family are attacked by a giant metal beast, leaving you separated from your family and on a journey to return home.
In terms of puzzle-platformers, Princess of the Water Lilies is a simple and short experience that you can get through in one sitting. The game takes place across a series of beautiful hand-drawn biomes, each area introducing new ways to interact with your environment using your magical collar; from making mushrooms sprout legs to temporarily stunning dangerous enemies. The puzzles here are fairly straightforward, making it a good entry point for younger audiences, although it might not scratch the itch for veteran players.
At the end of each biome is a boss encounter, where your focus is to escape from the boss rather than defeat it. While it is meant to be test of your platforming reflexes, these sections were paced a little too slow and the game camera too zoomed-in for my liking. Most of the time, I was left waiting for the camera to pan to the next section, but once it did, I was conversely not given enough freedom of movement to adjust my position before the next attack. These sections ended up feeling less like a test of skill, and more like a test of map memory, which can get repetitive and frustrating over time.
That being said, Princess of the Water Lilies is generous with its autosave points; something that is much appreciated considering your character can only take one hit before dying. There are also a few nice additions in terms of quality of life, including the ability to teleport back to previous areas to find hidden collectibles and glowing gems you might have missed during your first run through.
However, the game definitely shines the brightest for its art direction. Every moment in this game feels like you’ve stepped into an old Disney animated movie, from the orchestral soundtrack to the hand-drawn 2D animations, and even its adorable cast of critters. But if you don’t find yourself romanced by the nostalgia on display, or you’re looking for a platformer that’s going to be a true test of skill, you might want to give this one a skip.
Verdict
Inspired by classic animated tales from the 70s to the 90s, Princess of the Water Lilies is a simple and short puzzle-platformer filled with beautiful hand-drawn animations that will draw you into its world. The mechanics and puzzles are simple, making it a decent entry point for younger audiences and newbies to the genre, although it might not scratch the itch for veteran players.
