Yono and the Celestial Elephants

Yono and the Celestial Elephants, while simplistic in design, hides a curiously metaphysical tale behind it. Those looking for a Zelda-lite adventure might be disappointed by its straightforward approach and lack of upgradability, but those who are willing to give its lighthearted and deliriously cute tale a spin will find a worthy game to play.

The greatest quality of this game is in its philosophy. Yono is a young elephant, with a lot to learn, a lot to live on. This is the impression that remains of this game. At the same time, the proposal seems a little unbalanced. The simplicity of aesthetics, combats and puzzles make it seem like a game aimed at children, but certainly the dialogues are closer to the universe of a university student than of a child. I would recommend this game for its mechanics and visuals, but much more for its narrative.

While the game doesn't control that great it does have a unique and interesting story. The path is filled with challenges which will keep you busy for a good while. These challenges are fun to overcome but don't line up with the target audience which is a shame.

Yono and the celestial Elephants on Nintendo Switch first impression is to looks like a game only for the little ones, nothing further from it, it is a game that, despite its short duration, will make you enjoy a fun gameplay both young and old; for all these reasons, I recommend playing it if you have a free time and want to play a game that is too complicated.

Yono and the Celestial Elephants may look like a children's game but its artistic style should not be the basis for judgment, this is a game that can feel surprising and its approach to actual issues and relevant topics will resonate with many players beyond the younger demographics. Where Yono falls short, however, is on the too simple challenge posed by its puzzles and on its somewhat disappointingly short lifespan.

That largely sums up my experience with Yono and the Celestial Elephants, a passion project that wearily falls short from the potential that it clearly had. It is probably best that you wait for another millennium to see what adventures await the next elephant, which, we can hope, will be far more exciting than this one.

Yono and the Celestial Elephants combines interesting story and fun gameplay into a title that is fun for everyone. While many won't find anything in the game particularly challenging it still remains an entertaining experience.

A title completely created by one guy, Yono and the Celestial Elephants is kid-friendly adventure, which hides a rich symbolic lore underneath its cartoonish appearance. I wouldn't recommend playing the game for its gameplay, but for the experience and discovering quite a deep story about the harmony of all things.

I was pretty impressed how much depth the game actually had overall, considering its flat beginning.

All in all, Yono and the Celestial Elephants is a game that is acutely aware of the great titles that it draws inspiration from, even it falls a little short in its well-meaning execution.