Fans of classic PlayStation platformers remember the charming and whimsical game known asKlonoa. This series of platformers hasn’t seen action since 2008, with the last release being a remake of 1997’sKlonoa: Door to Phantomileon the Wii. 14 years later during a February 2022 Nintendo Direct, Bandai Namco announced that this classic platformer was coming back, in the form ofKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Series. This game remasters the Wii remake, along with aremake ofKlonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil, with the full package coming later this summer.
While the game was initially announced to be coming to Nintendo’s console, Bandai Namco confirmed it would also be coming to other platforms that very same day. Somenew gameplay elements are present inKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Series, such as a new two-player co-op mode, as well as Easy and Normal difficulty modes. These elements can help newcomers who are jumping into the series for the first time. With the game only being a month or so from release, Bandai Namco has shown off more of its gameplay.
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This includes a graphical comparison trailer showcasing the differences between the Wii remake and thePhantasy Reverierelease, and the most recent gameplay trailer showing a level fromKlonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil. It shows off Klonoasnowboarding on a mountainlevel known as Mountains of Mira~Mira, showcasing how the level has been remade in its new graphical art style.
Klonoa uses his air board to shred the slopes while dodging enemies and jumping over bottomless pits. It also shows how players can float in the air for a brief amount of time using the character’s ears, and avoid enemies. While most of the level is played in a 2D plane, there are elements thattake advantage of a 3D perspective. The latter half of the level also is played entirely in 3D, where Klonoa slides through a cave while collecting items.
This treatment given toKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Seriesshows the care and attention to bringing the game to a modern but still bright and charming art style. The gameplay trailer shows how the colors really pop against each other, especially in the cave portion of the level. Supposedly the developers have learned from the polarizing reception of the 2008 remake on the Wii, making things more true to its roots, and gameplay videos like this show how. Hopefully, fans will also enjoy a return to this nostalgic series once it releases later in July.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Serieswill release for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on July 8th, 2022.
