The Sun and Moon review for PS Vita, PS4

Just because you have an innovative idea, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good innovative idea. Want proof? Look no further than The Sun and Moon.

Before I go any further, of course, I should note that I’m not particularly good at the game. Though I’ve gotten through many (though not all) of the levels, it’s taken me a long time to do so. Beating each one requires a whole lot of trial and error (and error, and error, and error), and I’ve come nowhere close to meeting most target times. As such, when I say I’m not fond of it, be aware that a lot of that is built-up frustration speaking.

In my defense, however, I have a hard time seeing how else anyone could experience the game. It is, after all, a physics-based platformer, with the core mechanic — which calls for players to play with gravity by diving into the ground and launching themselves towards other platforms — seemingly being designed in such a way that you have no choice but to experiment every step of the way. There doesn’t seem to be any hard and fast rule for how far you’re going to dive or be launched, which pretty much every single jump you take is almost literally a leap of faith. Maybe I just played it the wrong way, but it feels like the game is designed in such a way that if you get through a level on your first try, it’s because you got incredibly lucky.

If The Sun and Moon has one saving grace, it’s one that you actually don’t even need the game to experience. See, its score is gorgeous, all cold and sparse and minimalistic…and, as luck would have it, it’s available as a separate download via Bandcamp. I know that, as a gaming site, we should probably be in the business of promoting games over other forms of media. In this case, however, that other form of media is not just clearly better, but also roughly the same cost, which means that, as far as I’m concerned, it’s pretty clear which one deserves your money.

But, hey, maybe you like being frustrated. If you do, then The Sun and Moon certainly has something for you, since it won’t do much other than frustrate you. If you just want to experience something good, though, ditch the game and go for the soundtrack. You’ll be glad you did.