36 Fragments of Midnight review for PS Vita, PS4, Switch, PC

Here’s the most important thing you need to know about 36 Fragments of Midnight: it’s incredibly short.

Like, we’re talking about a game you could easily platinum in under an hour. You even get a trophy for beating the game in under six minutes, which should tell you all you need to know about the amount of content. Consequently, the game’s reception has been…not great, to put it mildly.

But here’s the second-most important thing you need to know about 36 Fragments of Midnight: it’s really not that bad.

I wouldn’t say it’s a GOTY centender or anything. And I could definitely see how some people might see it as more a concept for a game than an actual game. Besides the brevity, there’s no plot beyond “find the 36 fragments.” The gameplay is your basic platforming, with the only wrinkle being that the world is procedurally-generated. And that’s quite literally all there is to the game, since, again, it can be beaten in under six minutes.

I prefer, however, to take a more “glass half-full” approach to 36 Fragments of Midnight. Sure, its replay value is limited once you get beyond the platinum, but for that hour or so you’re playing it, it’s perfectly enjoyable. The levels present a decent enough challenge, with the procedurally-generated aspect introducing a fun wrinkle to the proceedings. And, most importantly, the controls are easy to pick up and work just as tightly as they need to.

Again, it’s nowhere near perfect. But for what it is, and for the (cheap) price it is, there are much worse gaming ways to pass the time than 36 Fragments of Midnight.

Ratalaika Games provided us with a 36 Fragments of Midnight PS Vita code for review purposes.