Himno review for PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

I suspect that Himno would like to think of itself as an experience rather than simply a game. After all, it provides you with little in the way of instruction beyond briefly flashing the controls at you when you begin. There?s no apparent story. You?re jumping around a procedurally-generated world, listening to sounds and looking for lights to guide you. The music sounds, for the most part, like it was lifted from an ambient chillout mix. It may be a platformer, but it clearly has artistic pretensions.

The thing is, as experiences go, it?s pretty dull. Thanks to the trophies, I know that I?m supposed to free little glowing wisps, and occasionally the wisps give me extra powers, but it?s not like there?s anything motivating me beyond that. The levels are shrouded in darkness, so it?s not like there?s a whole lot to look at. You just jump around, hoping eventually you?ll figure out where the game wants you to go.

To be fair, Himno?s music is pleasant, full of ethereal synths that seem ideal if you want to jump around mindlessly for a little while. There are some points where it conveys a slight sense of urgency, but for the most part, it sounds like something you?d listen to after a long night of clubbing.

But that?s what Spotify is for. In fact, you could probably find much more interesting chillout mixes there, that don?t make you play a wholly forgettable platforming experience in with the good music. Himno clearly aspires to be much more than a simple platformer, but its execution falls well short of any greater goals it may have.

Ratalaika Games provided us with a Himno PS4/Vita code for review purposes.