Kirby's Epic Yarn

It's easy for me to compare Epic Yarn to Muramasa: both games have a beautiful artistic style, supported by simple gameplay mechanics, with a throwaway story tacked on for good measure. There are two big differences, though: Kirby has co-op multiplayer, and, in Epic Yarn you can transform into a string tank.

While you might think that Kirby's basic gameplay would be completely vacant without the ability to eat and emulate your enemies, in practice Epic Yarn's context-sensitive powers end up feeling a lot like any other Kirby game (despite the fact that it wasn't originally about Kirby). Granted, Epic Yarn might be at risk of feeling incredibly shallow, were it not for the amazing transformations that happen at the end of most stages - such as tanks, UFOs, race buggies, and line-riding trains - but the game doesn't have any delusions of grandeur about its complexity. It works, and it's fun!

It's hard not to be impressed by how highly polished Epic Yarn is. The core gameplay may not be the most exciting, but the controls are tight, the levels are well-designed, and the overally execution on the yarn-world premise is just stunning.

Progress: Water Land (co-op)