My adventure platformer of the month due to the enjoyable gameplay and large number of distinct characters, monsters, and stages.

It all begins with a tale about an evil lord who terrorizes people's hearts. However, a hero wizard emerged and locked the evil within a magical chest. Despite losing his life, he became a legend and an inspiration to future heroes.

You assume control of two of these young adventures, a brother and sister duo. As expected, one quickly enters the first cave and unleashes the old evil. Fortunately, the ancient wizard is present as well. He may not have the legendary appearance from the books, and he has gone a bit insane, but he is still willing to assist you by providing you with a magical gauntlet.

Controls are standard. In addition to the main left and right movements, you can jump, slide, and attack. Slide is handy since it allows you to get out of the way quickly. Because your attack relies on magic, your primary spell are magic bullets. Range is a bit limited because they only traverse less than half the screen, yet there's no need to worry about mana. Mana is used to limit secondary spells. These are effective, but not necessary for your success.

Although you begin with the brother, the sister joins after a few stages. You can switch between them at any time, although you can easily complete the majority of the game with only the brother. However, there are some distinctions between them.

Compared to her brother, the sister jumps higher and has a friendly bee that fires additional bullets. However, her attacks are weaker, and she comes with floaty and slippery controls. This means she slides on the surface and does not immediately stop, nor does she turn quickly while in the air. This makes the brother more suitable for platforming because you have more control over your jumps.

But that’s not all. If you make the effort of exploring everything, several secondary characters will join your adventure. Again, you don’t have to use them, but they might be suitable for certain things. The cat lady, for instance, has very short attack range, but she can move fast and attacks through obstacles.

Stages are rather typical, yet they're entertaining to play because they take place in diverse locations and against varied enemies. Enemies can be taken out with a bullet or two, and even faster if you manage to grab a boost that improves their damage. It stays with you until you get hit, yet it is easy to find again in chests.

Bosses are entertaining but not particularly demanding. They have a few simple attacks. Their design is nice because they begin as a typical enemy before drinking a magic potion and evolving into a larger and more powerful variation.

The game's currency is crystals, which may be found throughout the stage, in chests, and dropped by killed enemies. Crystals allow you to purchase a few items that will make your quest easier. Some of them include magic gems that increase your man, health potions for when you find yourself in a tight place, and new spells.

While a stage is divided into three or more sections, it is relatively short. You won't be annoyed by unfair difficulty, which often ruins the fun in these games. Dying is not a hassle. If you lose all three hearts, you will simply have to restart from the beginning of the current section. However, this does not mean that the game is easy; you will still need to make precise jumps and avoid falling into holes that kill you instantly.

Each level contains a hidden member of the pea family. When you find one, an icon appears so you don't have to remember which ones have already been completed. They're frequently hidden behind a destructible wall or in another secret area of the map. What I enjoy about the stages is that they include a good number of secrets. Most are easily identified because they are slightly cracked, while some are more cleverly hidden and require a secondary spell.

Stages are played in a linear order, but you are free to replay them at any time. This can be done from the main map. Movement is not free because you simply move from node to node, but at least you won’t get lost or worry where to go next. If you don’t want to bother walking, you can quickly go to any node by selecting one from a list.

When you complete a current level, a new node appears, which may lead to special nodes such as a village or a house where you can meet many of the game's characters. Also, there are hidden nodes that open only when you find a map. This is also shown with an icon next to a stage. With four worlds and around 15 stages in each, this game will keep you busy for a long time.

Indeed, the game makes an intensive effort to create unique characters and enemies. When you acquire access to the game's encyclopedia, you'll be astounded by the sheer number: there are over 250 characters and 150 monsters, all of whom are named and have a decent bio.

If that’s not amazing enough, each entry comes with additional information. While enemies have things such health points, species, and factions, characters come with age, likes/dislikes, and even pronouns. The encyclopedia starts with question marks, but you unlock a new entry when you first encounter something. Since some are hidden, you might not have everything unlocked at the end.

Some characters have a mission or side activity for you. This brings up one of the few criticisms I have with the game. Quests are not shown anywhere, and it is easy to forget where the characters are. I forgot to note that each stage ends with a chest containing something unique, including quest items. But you have no idea which character needs it. Completing a quest grants you a heart fragment; once you have three, you gain one more heart.