Rorrim Review (Wii U eShop)

Damsels in distress are becoming less of a common theme in video games nowadays. Instead we see plenty of titles with independent women who are more than capable of solving their own problems and even saving the day. Not every princess needs someone to come to their aid - as Rorrim illustrates.

Players take control of the young and beautiful Princess Rorrim who becomes trapped in her very own mirror (the game's name backwards) after it begins to glow. The princess must now escape by traversing dungeons in both the mirrored world and the real one (in other words, the television screen and the Wii U GamePad). Gameplay focused on mirrored images isn't exactly a fresh idea on the Wii U, but it's still at least making use of the system's unique hardware.

Rorrim is best described as a dungeon-themed puzzle game. Visually, it's not much to look at. There is basic pixel artwork and assets that are on par with certain games from the SNES era - a rather lifeless top-down dungeon image is no different (in terms of presentation) across the television screen and Wii U GamePad. The music is comforting yet keeps you on edge, and sound effects are only notable when certain actions occur on-screen. It's worth noting that, likely because the game uses both screens, no sound comes out of the GamePad.

The game is divided into two modes. The first scenario requires players to unlock gates to progress and the second mode requires players to avoid guardians. Both modes lead to frustration as you attempt to guide two princesses on two separate screens at the same time. Due to the map layout on both screens being different, as well as the starting placement of the two princess (one on each screen), it's trial and error to get both to the two exit platforms. While one may be walking into a wall, the other might be moving across the level on the other screen. Eventually, the two princess will sync up, enabling both to step onto the exit platforms at the same time and progress to the next level.

Adding a little depth to the core idea are helpful items and obstacles which must be overcome. A dungeon key will be occasionally required to unlock a gate in the parallel world. There are also reset platforms to avoid, traps which teleport you back to the previous level and ghosts which will mimic your own movement. In the second mode there is a dungeon master who will snatch you up if you are idle for too long whilst trying to solve a puzzle, encouraging faster decision-making.

Though it sounds good on paper, these items and obstacles add very little variety to the core idea. In fact, despite the potential in a concept like this there's not much imagination or design nous here, making this a rather dull experience from start to finish.