Sayonara Wild Hearts review: The experience of a dream pop album that we deserve

Sayonara Wild Hearts do not waste time bringing the player into his magnificent dream landscape propelled by techno-pop.

The main character is transformed into her strong and fashionable alter ego in the first moments of history, while she tries to find the renegade tarots, who are also strong and fashionable women. If you choose not to do it, you do not need to think about it.

According to the voice-over (interpreted by Queen Latifah, would you believe it?), You must continue the tarot game across cluttered tracks of obstacles, going from skateboard to deer jumping up and down. guiding them left and right buzzing path. From time to time, you launch a series of timed punches against fabulously posed enemies by pressing buttons to the rhythm of the music. It's a lot more style than substance, but it's hard to criticize the game when that style is it really good.

Every moment of the game is an aesthetic delicacy. The animations are smooth and satisfying, like when you're whirring through the air after you've recovered a valuable heart, or you're wandering like a ballerina on your scooter seat when it's time to face the boss. , who can be a mechanized wolf or not. three heads.

The color range is drawn directly from the bisexual lighting palette, with jewel tones accented with neon user interface elements. Tarot cards are all elegant ladies leading gangs of girls, wearing sly costumes and letterman jackets. Since you alternate between fighting and kissing these ladies, it's refreshing to see a game that embraces an aesthetic as strange as it is pure. It's a world where everyone is gracious, strong and wants to embrace everyone. It is a good place to spend time.

The other highlight of the game is the soundtrack. Sayonara Wild Hearts is basically Giving a sword to Carly Rae Jepsen: the gameIt is therefore not surprising that Chiptune-influenced audio is fully on the point. The indie-pop sparkling tracks reinforce the overall feeling of playing through an animated music video. Like so many psychedelic gaming experiences before, Sayonara Wild Hearts you can play as often as you wish, and in one sitting, if you are as lost as me in the songs. You can now listen to the soundtrack if you wish to try it.

Sayonara Wild Hearts play more like a mobile game, for better or for worse, regardless of the system you play on. The gameplay is simple enough to be played with an inactive thumb while standing on a bus. Some levels require more concentration than others, such as a particularly difficult section where you have to hit pinball bumpers to make sharp turns. But each level has multiple control points, so failing does not mean restarting the entire track.

Simogo / Annapurna Interactive

But I would not call Sayonara Wild Hearts a rhythm game. Although there is some synchronization between the music and the sound effects of the collection of hearts, did I mention that the point system is a heart composed of a beautiful light? – Success in the game does not depend on success. Even quick events are very forgiving because they are more like events to take. If you fail too often, you get a screen on which you have the opportunity to completely skip this song. Nothing is kept or locked from the player.

It's an open spectrum of sounds and lights that everyone can appreciate. Think of the game rather as a playable soundtrack, an interactive version of lo-fi anime beats, to enjoy without being embarrassed.

Although the game is easy to navigate, it takes a lot more effort to rank the songs in the gold. I beat the game quickly, in less than two hours, and immediately started to replay it, as I do when I find a new album on which to obsess.

The attraction of music is a great incentive for a relaxing second or third run, whether you're looking for gold or not. Sayonara Wild Hearts This is the perfect game to relax just before going to bed, hoping to make my dreams come true with the neon pink-violet colors of a neon sunset, surrounded by beautiful people who fight as if they were in love .

Sayonara Wild Hearts is now available on iOS, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The game has been tested on Nintendo Switch, with the help of a copy purchased by Polygon. You can find additional information on Polygon's ethics policy here.