A beautiful game with some interesting mechanics. But somewhat of a letdown.

User Rating: 7 | LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias WII
I'm the type of gamer that doesn't mind cute exteriors. I love atmospheric games. And I almost always can find something to enjoy in every game. With that said, I'm disappointed in LostWinds.

It's not a bad game by any means, which is why I'm not rating it very low. The experience, however, just didn't satisfy me. I'm almost at the end of the game and I've explored all the areas, but the game felt lacking.

What I liked:
-The game is very pretty with good graphical effects, animation and a great art-style.
-Uses wiimote in interesting ways to control powers.

What I didn't like:
-Way too easy. I love puzzle games. Games like Braid or PnC adventures. I was not stumped once and I did not have to think about anything really. Without that challenge of tackling obstacles, I felt bored.

Ultimately, I played nearly four hours of the game, expecting some big changes in story, better useful powers or difficult puzzles. Didn't get any of that. It felt something like a platformer, but there were no fun platforming segments. It felt something like a puzzle game, but there were no fun, challenging puzzles. So what do I recommend? I think this would probably be a great kids game. That isn't to say that adults wouldn't enjoy it. But it really depends on what kind of gamer you are. For me, this didn't scratch the puzzle game or platformer itch.