MO:Astray is a puzzle-platformer in which you play as a little blue blob called MO. I should say, the balance here is much more on the side of "platformer". There are puzzles here to be sure, but overall it feels significantly more like an action game than a puzzle game.
MO:Astray has a somewhat unique movement system for a platformer. Rather than simply having buttons for left, right, and jump, MO:Astray instead uses the right analog stick to control the trajectory of the jump and the left shoulder button to sproing in that direction. There are a couple of consequences that come with this. First off, once you make a jump, you're committed to it. An early-game upgrade lets you make a second jump from mid-air, but outside of this, there is zero ability to control your momentum in the midst of a jump. Secondly, there is a surprising degree of freedom and precision in your control over jumps, since you can set not just the exact angle but also the power of the jump.
This movement system can feel a little awkward at first, and is probably one of the main criticisms by players who aren't fond of the game. There will be times early on when you will say, "Why didn't they just put a normal jump in here?" But once you get accustomed to it, you will realize there is a lot of power and control in this system. There is a lot of room for skill, and in late game you will find yourself doing little acrobatics that feel both incredibly fun and fluid.
As a little blob, you have the ability to jump on to the heads of creatures and read their memories. Through this, you get glimpses of the lives and final thoughts of the (former) people you encounter. Between these little bits of text and an unidentified voice that's speaking to you in your head since the start, the game gives you its little bits of story exposition. But I was somewhat critical of these story reveals at first. It felt like they were intruding in on the game experience, and without any background to give context to these memories, it felt like they just didn't add up to much. But once I got some ways into the game, it got much, much better.
MO:Astray is a game that is at its best (like most games, I've come to feel) when it allows you to simply play. This is, after all, the strength of games as a medium. Rather than simply telling you, or even showing you a story, a game has the unique ability to let you experience it. There is so much to love here, and once the game is able to get out of its own way and let you experience it for yourself, it really shines.
By the time I was in the final sequence, I was completely sold. There's a protracted series of fights culminating in a boss fight that got my blood pumping, and as I was making my way to the final end, I found myself caring about the story and wanting to know how it all would end. I was filled with questions that drove me forward. What truly happened here that led to all of this? Who really is that voice that's been speaking in my head? Am I even doing the right thing here, by moving forward and beating everything I've beaten to get this far?
Not bad for a game where you play as a literal blob, I'll say.
Oh, and also, after each boss fight, you unlock these little comic book style story flashbacks, which I feel are a nice touch:
Amazing game, highly recommended.
