Reverie: Sweet As Edition Review

Reverie: Sweet As Edition blends two of my favorite Super Nintendo games, Earthbound and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, to create its own original and charming adventure that shines throughout its roughly six-hour long story.

The game is set in the fictional island of Toromi, New Zealand and is loosely based on the legend of Maui and the Giant Fish where the demigod supposedly pulls the island to the surface with his fishing rod. I’m pleased to report that although I wasn’t born and raised in New Zealand, Reverie manages to offer an experience that Kiwis and non-Kiwis alike will enjoy. The game is brimming with charming references to childhood on the island nation that unfortunately went over my head, but gave me nostalgia for my own boyhood adventures nonetheless.

Gameplay wise Reverie borrows heavily from 2D top-down Zelda games by presenting simple, yet clever puzzles throughout its six dungeons. These won’t win any brain-buster awards for complexity, but fun regardless. The enemies and bosses were never too challenging, but rewarding enough when defeated. That being said, I still occasionally died a few times. Although the dungeons and puzzles were fairly predictable and simple they were enjoyable and memorable. In typical Zelda fashion the player will use an item acquired in the dungeon to solve the puzzles within. In this regard it doesn’t offer anything veteran gamers haven’t seen before, but that doesn’t take anything away from the experience.

Aesthetically it reflects the Earthbound series in its ode to childhood. The entirety of the game sees young Tai travel around Toromi Island on his summer holiday fighting spirits that threaten the safety of the island. Throughout your adventure you’ll use childhood tools and toys, like a cricket bat or pet rock, to solve puzzles, traverse dungeons, and defeat enemies. It boasts beautifully rendered 16-bit graphics and sprites that make it feel as if it would be right at home on the SNES. Reverie is the perfect game to play in handheld mode on the Switch, looking quite beautiful.

This is quite a relaxing game, perhaps due to its setting on a New Zealand island during summer holiday. The music had an infectious island vibe that was great while the time lasted, but didn’t quite stick in my head long after.

Sadly the game is over before you know it. The story lasts around six hours leaving the player wanting just a bit more. Reverie: Sweet As Edition also offers an in-game trophy system, which makes you wish the Switch had a native achievement system. If you’re looking to spend some extra time on Toromi there are plenty of bird feathers to collect throughout your adventure. There is also an end-game dungeon that unlocks and a Nightmare difficulty mode as well if you’re looking for a bit more of a challenge.

In conclusion, Reverie: Sweet As Edition managed to fuse ideas introduced in both Earthbound and 2D Zelda games, molding its own unique adventure. The setting of Toromi Island is heartwarming, but left me wanting a bit more to explore. Anyone who plays the game can tell that the developers put a lot of care into this game and it is undoubtedly a product of passion. I’m definitely looking forward to playing this one again.

Tony Matthews

Tony has been gaming ever since he could walk. Pokémon Blue Version helped him learn how to read. His greatest accomplishment is not just having played the entire Kingdom Hearts series but also understanding it.