– Advertisement –
Puzzle games come in all shapes and sizes. Some are horrific and terrifying, whereas others are calm, methodical, and surreal. I don’t mind what theme I experience, as long as the puzzles are challenging. Therefore, when I was given Him and Her Collection, I was a little unsure. It appeared too cutesy and simple, but looks can, of course, be deceiving.
Developed by Williams and published by QUByte Interactive with Game Nacional, this is a logic-based puzzle title. Comprising three mind-stretching chapters, this will test your brain cells. At first glance, it appears basic and easy. However, with drip-fed mechanics and more convoluted stages, it soon becomes tougher. Consequently, this can be enjoyed by newcomers and veterans alike.
Him and Her Collection: a cute and calm puzzle game.
I’m not usually a lover of cute titles, as they can be tedious and inane. However, Him and Her Collection was different. Its sickly love story is a pivotal part of the gameplay. Though there isn’t a plot as such, you must reconcile the separated couple. For unknown reasons, the two find themselves apart at every stage. Subsequently, you must overcome obstacles in this haunting and surreal experience.
Each chapter focuses on either the male or the female protagonist. Though little changes in the gameplay, there are some unique mechanics for each. These minor twists help to keep the action fresh while preventing boredom. It would have been easy for the action to plateau, but fortunately, this never happened.
Jump, twist, and avoid the traps.
So, we know the aim of the game. But how are we going to get Romeo to Juliet? By simply turning the world, jumping gaps, flipping switches, and avoiding spikes. Furthermore, there are occasionally spiked creatures and moving platforms that you must avoid if you wish to survive. Fundamentally, Him and Her Collection is extremely easy to understand. Yet, in reality, it soon becomes a complex minefield.
Each stage demands that you observe your surroundings and adjust the puzzle accordingly. You may need to twist the world by turning the platform you are standing on. By doing this, every surface will move as well. Therefore, you will open new paths, move swinging boxes, and avoid any obstacles you face. However, sometimes, levers must be flipped to generate fresh platforms. These expand each problem and make planning a little tougher. Yet, they also added more depth, and I adored the additional challenge.
Alongside these elements, you have teleporters to use and hidden areas to find. These layers make the affected stages much more complex and tough to complete. This, in theory, is great, but it also leads to my only complaint. Sadly, and annoyingly, there is no hint system. Now, this wouldn’t normally be a bad thing, but on the hardest levels, it is much too tough. This brutal approach will alienate inexperienced gamers while frustrating them as well.
Him and Her Collection has a simple style.
Though some of the stages were complex, the art style was not. With a striking monochromatic colour palette, it is clean-cut and marvellous to look at. The simplicity continues with the straightforward character models and easy-to-identify traps. With a minimalist approach, it could have become boring to play. Luckily, the aforementioned drip-fed mechanics and the increasingly expanding stages keep things fresh.
The cute and calm theme is captured by the haunting music. With a slower pace and light sounds, the soundtrack has melancholy audio. This wonderfully matches the theme of despair and loneliness, without being too heavy. I adored the basic audio as it complements the minimalist visuals.
Frustrating controls.
The biggest bugbear of Him and Her Collection has to be the controls. You’ll accidentally turn a corner as you try to leap across gaps. This then flips the world, and mistakes occur. I’d have preferred an option where you chose to flip each surface. This would have removed the problem without ruining the flow of the action. As it is, it doesn’t ruin the game, it’s simply frustrating.
The developers have tried to improve longevity with two difficulty settings. This is normally applauded, but in this case, it’s just bizarre. As far as I can tell, there is no difference in the gameplay or the puzzles. Consequently, it mattered not which mode you tackled. This was disappointing, as it was pointless and unnecessary. Where it should have been improved were some collectables or a scoring system. Both options would have made it harder while adding some more depth.
Him and Her Collection is a great puzzle game.
Despite its occasional shortcomings, Him and Her Collection is a great puzzle title. With some testing stages and complex elements, it will test you. Furthermore, I adored the theme and the minimalistic aesthetics. It is for these reasons that I recommend you to buy it here! Can you overcome the obstacles, twist the world, and reconcile the couple? 3 chapters and plenty of puzzles stand between you and success.
