Parents' Guide to Jotun

This gorgeous hand-drawn adventure is very pretty, which is in stark contrast to how stiff and plodding the game's controls and overall maneuvering can be. You move slowly. You get locked into animations and can't move until they finish. This proves problematic when you're facing down big big bosses who use their scale to make you feel truly small and who easily gain the upper hand because you're frequently unable to move or get out of the way of their fierce strikes. This seems strange, because something so much bigger than you should be slower, but this isn't the case. That means you can expect to replay the boss fights over and over again. You'll also find yourself rethinking how to explore an area, moving very slowly through vast areas just to figure out where you want to go next. Some would say this pads the game's running time or is meant to have you reflect on the impressive visuals, but it just gets frustrating when you want to keep it moving and progress.

On the other hand, this makes combat in the bigger showdowns much more dramatic, even if you're fighting with the controls. The same excitement pops up on other levels, too, such as in a snowy area, where intermittent blizzards force you to think carefully on your feet to seek refuge as you make your way, or on a lightning-themed level, where you must move carefully to avoid getting struck at any moment while working on environmental puzzles. As such, Jotun is a bit of a mixed bag. While it's worth a look and is pretty on the eyes, it can be rough on your patience.