**Review of "Glimmering Mirror"**

WARNING

If you’re a player primarily interested in the art style and have lower expectations for other aspects, I’d currently still recommend this game.

The biggest draw is undoubtedly the art style by the talented artist Cici. Personally, I’m not a fan of overly dark aesthetics in similar games.

As for the story… it’s quite confusing, especially in the first two chapters. Many events feel “convenient” – you fight monsters inexplicably, experience sudden emotional moments and reconciliations, yet even after two chapters, the background story remains unclear. The opening narrative needs significant improvement to properly introduce the world-building and the anomalies in the Mirror World.

The transitions are just black screens with white text or static images with text overlays, which feels embarrassingly low-budget. Even without comparing it to Ori, this falls short. Considering it’s a three-person studio with Cici still working at miHoYo, production capacity is clearly strained, so I’ll cut them some slack for now. Hopefully, after TT Games secures funding from the game’s release, they can hire more talent to boost production and refine the early chapters.

Regarding the combat system, TT mentioned they prioritized a smaller scope, so the combat isn’t overly complex. However, the Mirror Element Spirits mechanic gives off strong “4399 mini-game” vibes (laughs). I hope they can reduce the player character’s hit reactions while enhancing enemy feedback. Currently, enemies don’t even budge when hit, whereas attacks on the player cause stun locks and knockbacks – it feels frustrating.

Map design is decent in terms of guidance, preventing players from getting lost. But this is mainly because the maps lack depth, with very few explorable areas. For a deliberately small-scale game, this is forgivable. Judging by the TAB map design, TT doesn’t seem to be aiming for the intricate maps of Ori or Hollow Knight, opting instead for discrete room-based levels rather than maze-like structures. If they want to justify the price point without deepening map complexity, I’d hope they compensate with length – longer storylines, more varied scenes, and additional levels.

Overall, recommended for players who love the art style. Others might want to wait and see.
Five years in the making – here’s hoping Glimmer in the Mirror continues to improve and that we see more great indie games in the future.