One of 2017’s Xbox One indie releases that went under my radar was Candleman, an inspired 3D platformer in which players took the role of a candle on a lonely and perilous journey. Earlier this year, the game along with its Lost Light DLC and optimizations including 4K support, timer challenge mode, and increased frame rates was released on the PC. I was pleased to receive a review code for Steam, and I am (finally) getting around to posting a review.
What struck me about Candleman right away was the sense of quality. A simple, well-designed menu; good, effective narration; and of course, a great gameplay mechanic as your candle can only burn for ten seconds per stage (although it is refilled at checkpoints). This isn’t to say that your entire journey is in darkness, but much of it is, and hidden candles are often purposefully in the dark (and it’s up to you to light them up if you’d like to). The camera in Candleman is fixed, which I rather liked — it means that everything you need to see is right out in front, in plain sight, although perhaps hidden around a corner or in darkness, but you won’t have to stop to spend time tweaking the camera one way or another.
Levels are straight-forward, and the difficulty is one of the smoothest I have experienced in sometime. Pacing, therefore, is managed very well, although by some standards the game is over quickly. Nicely done physics-based challenges present themselves like swaying chains you need to run across, or book pages that magically form bridges. The world of Candleman has a unique charm that suits it beautifully, providing both visual ‘wow-factor’ as well as level design that left me impressed and pleased. Controls are simple and responsive. You can run, jump, and emit light, that’s it. Combined with the fixed camera, smooth difficulty curve, relatively short and easy to navigate levels, this is one of the most accessible 3D platformers I can recall in sometime. For some gamers used to something more hardcore, these limited controls or design might disappoint, but I found the game’s design to resonate really well with its simple, charming visuals and story.
Candleman: The Complete Journey is a very nicely developed 3D platformer that has a great hook or “gimmick” that it introduces immediately and utilizes throughout. For $15, it presents a good value for anyone that is seeking a clever, charming, accessible, and fun platformer.
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