Summer is fully here and small indie games are one of the best ways to chill for a few hours, diving into different worlds. Oscuro Blossom’s Glow, first game of the Costa Rican studio Hongoneon, is one of those games. It’s cute, challenging enough to have a good time, and with around 3 hours of gameplay, it fits into any type of day.
We play Selene, a girl who can channel light. Her goal: restore the balance of the world by solving puzzles and avoiding dangers. The pitch is simple but the game is not without its difficulties. Some puzzles require a bit more thinking than just jump and run, and if you’re anything like me, platform games rhyme with jumping to your death into the void because you thought your character would make it. Don’t blame me, I played this game after spending more time on Death Stranding 2 building infrastructures and killing floating monsters, I needed some adjustments.
The art of Oscuro is like stepping into a children’s book full of wonders. The colors, the style, the simplicity yet richness of it, everything feels welcoming and even the dangers have something cute about them. The only real flaw of this game, at least on PS5, is the loading freezing the game for a second. And the game loads between each room, so it can be frustrating at times. That said, the game only costs €5.99 ($5.99), and is a first game. I prefer to focus on the work put into it and its positive message.
As a nature lover, I liked the story, how nature is everywhere and the way Selene communicates with this ecosystem. I also loved that what looks like evil is not always what it seems, especially in nature. And make sure to try the two alternative endings!
Oscuro Blossom’s Glow is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC.
