[See the English version below]

Две веселые сеструшки-попрыгушки опять попали в переплет. В оригинальной игре им не давал прохода какой-то не то динозавр не то дракон, что выступал в качестве финального босса и успел к этому моменту уничтожить миллионы нервных клеток игроков по той простой причине, что был невероятно труден в уничтожении. На его место пришла не то сова, не то филин с такими же, впрочем, отнюдь не самыми добрыми намерениями. Враги новые - герои старые. Равно как и игровой процесс, он не изменился ни на йоту.

Если коротко описать этот небольшой аддон к Giana Sisters, то выражение "хорошо, но мало" описывает его с лихвой. Действительно, пол-дюжины уровней короткой мини-кампании пролетают за один вечер. Если вы у нас перфекционист и вознамерились пройти все уровни с максимальным рейтингом или достаточно храбры и усидчивы, чтобы одолеть игру в дополнительных усложненных режимах, то можете смело умножить потраченное время втрое. Согласно рейтингу Стима, таких смельчаков нашлось суть более одного процента.

Отличий от оригинальной игры, прямо скажем, кот наплакал. Пара новых вражин, перерисованные задники да 2, от силы 3, новых композиции. Особенно отмечу новые бекграунды, они наконец-то стали действительно радовать глаз в отличие от своих коллег из оригинальной игры, что смотрелись довольно блекло.

Полное отсутствие сюжета и нехватка новизны искупается отличным дизайном уровней, который по-прежнему держит марку. Тяжелый саундтрек от суровых скандинавов из Machine Supremacy задает ритм, а сложность все также задрана до предела. Считаю, что этого достаточно для скромного аддона к не самому плохому платформеру на этой планете.
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Two funny-looking sisters who're always eager for new adventures have found themselves in another devious trap. Dinosaur mastermind from original game who earned his fame not only for being a final boss but also for annihilating millions of nerve cells by posing a formiddable threat during the final showdown. Yes, he was extremely difficult to take down. So, he stepped from his throne and a big bad owl has taken it in this new chapter. Well, doesn't matter though, the game has no plot whatsoever...

In order to sum it all up, a phrase "good, but too short" would fit just perfectly. 7 levels won't take you longer but one evening to complete them. Well, unless you are a perfectionist hero who wants to earn the best rating and complete the levels all over again in challenging modes. In this case, multiply your gaming time by 3.

There's not that much of a difference between this addon and original game. Two, maybe three new enemies, redrawn backgrounds and a couple of new musical themes. New backgrounds look especialy distinctive in contrast to original ones, which seemed rather dull and lackluster.

No plot and a lack of new content don't hurt that much due to tremendous level design, heavy soundtrack from scandinavian band Machine Supremacy and high unforgiving difficulty. I think it's enough for a short addon for a decent platformer.

Nice platformer, just as good as the first one. With slightly better feeling power ups.

I completed this game in 3 hours, so it's fairly short. If you can get it for like 2 dollars however like i did, i would say its worth.

God damn it! I havent died so many times in Hotline Miami than i had in this game.

And why is it that this game reminds me so much of old Sonic The Hedgehog games?

Basically this game is DLC for the core game, and it is really hard to recommend for two reasons.
One: It is a poorly optimized game.
Two: The game physics need a lot of work. For example the hit detection is off, you may or not hit the target, you may even orbit around the target for a second instead when you dash towards them. Jumping feels odd, a high jump may land you where you want one out of five tries.

The game itself is really short, and it is on the price range of at least 5 better platforming games so I cannot recommend it. There is simply not enough content, and the poorly optmized engine makes it impossible to play this game on low end systems that should not have any trouble running it.

I am not a big fan of platformer games in general, but I found this game quite fun! It has good difficulty, smooth controls and gameplay (reminded me a lot of the adventure mode, Subspace Emissary, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl), and plenty of gorgeous levels to keep you busy. Not to mention an awesome soundtrack! Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Rise of the Owlverlord is a very solid game and is worth every penny in my honest opinion.

플랫포머 게임인 Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams의 스탠드얼론 확장팩으로 원작의 시스템을 그대로 답습하고 있지만, 찬찬히 들여다보면 원작과는 비교를 불허할 정도로 짜임새 있는 완성도를 가진 게임이다.

기본은 캐릭터의 속성을 바꿔가며 스테이지의 기물을 컨트롤 하고 장애물을 피해 목표에 도달하는 원작의 게임 구성을 그대로 따르고 있다. 그러나 원작이 오밀조밀한 미세 컨트롤 위주의 플레이가 요구되었던 데 반해 본 확장팩에서는 좀 더 시원시원하고 스테이지를 넓게 활용하는 액션 위주의 진행이 주를 이룬다. 전반적으로 장애물이나 적 배치와 같은 스테이지 기믹의 난이도가 감소하였으며 체크포인트가 늘어나고 사망을 1회 피할 수 있는 실드 아이템이 자주 출현하는 등, 사소한 조작 미스로도 수없이 푹찍을 경험해야 했던 원작에 비해 게임의 밸런스가 매우 좋아졌다. 덕분에 원작에서는 스트레스의 원인이었던 캐릭터의 사망이 본 확장팩에서는 도전의욕을 불러 일으키는 요인으로 작용한다.

원작에서 난이도 문제로 많은 비판을 받았던 개발진이 드디어 레벨업 해서 최종 형태로 각성했구나 싶을 정도로 훌륭한 게임이다. 유일한 단점은 게임의 전체 볼륨이 작다는 것. 확장팩이라 그런가 총 8개 스테이지와 왠지 존재감이 없는 보스전 하나가 전부이다. 액션에 익숙치 못한 플레이어라도 두시간 이내에 클리어 할 수 있을 정도. 물론 다양하게 구성된 난이도와 타임어택, 보석 모으기 등의 파고들기 요소를 제공하고 있지만 원작의 절반도 되지 않는 볼륨의 확장팩이라면 어째서 스탠드 얼론으로 만들었는가 하는 생각이 든다.

After completing literally everything this game has to offer, Hard difficulty,Hardcore Mode, Über Hardcore Mode, Time Attack, Score Attack and all Achievements I can safely say that this is a really fun platformer.

This is a stand-alone expansion / DLC that adds 7 levels and does not require the base game to be able to play.

I would really recommend starting off on hard difficulty, normal mode just makes the levels so much easier that it's barely a challenge. Completing hard difficulty took me around 3-4 hours the first time playing, so the game is fairly short if you don't give all the other game modes a try (took me around 15~ hours to complete the game 100%)

The controls are solid for this game, I didn't mess up once because of bad controls or anything like that, Giana moved where I wanted her to, worth noting that I used an Xbox 360 controller to play through the game, can't say how the keyboard controls are as I didn't try them.

Now the soundtrack for this game, and the base game is fantastic. The Cute / Punk version of every song blends together perfectly when you switch between the two different versions of Giana.

This is NOT an easy game, you're gonna have to restart over and over again, be prepared.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is without a doubt one of the best things to come out of the great retro platformer deluge, which began somewhere around the release of Super Meat Boy. It was stunning to look at, a joy to play, and managed to feel fresh yet familiar at the same time. As with any good thing fans are bound to want more, and Black Forest Games has now delivered just that with Rise of the Owlverlord; a standalone expansion that in many ways is even better than the game which spawned it!

If you've played Twisted Dreams (and you definitely should have before jumping into Owlverlord), you should know what you're getting into here; a tightly knit platformer with a neat world shifting mechanic, that controls like a charm and features an outstanding soundtrack. Owlverlord doesn't mess with this formula at all, but reworks it into a smaller more focused experience that fixes nearly all of my complaints of the original and then some.

While I enjoyed Twisted Dreams a lot, variety was not its strong suit and I quickly found myself fatigued of it after only a few level, forcing me to space it out of many short sessions to keep it from completely wearing out its welcome. I never felt this with Owlverlord. While there are far fewer levels this time (7, if you include the boss fight at the end), the upside of this is that each is longer and more uniquely designed than those found in the original game, with some of, if not the best level designs the series has seen to date! It took me weeks to finish the original game, but I tore through Owlverlord like a starving dog who just found a box of bacon, and was left eager for more (despite previously thinking I had had more than my fill of the series after the first game).

If you enjoyed Twisted Dreams there is absolutely no reason you should hesitate to pick up Rise of the Owlverlord! It's a shorter game, but a better one in every regard (which is saying something as the original was fantastic as well) that heightens the challenge, fine tunes the gameplay, and somehow manages to deliver and even more ridiculously awesome soundtrack than last time (Machinae Supremacy has completely outdone themselves yet again)! If you have yet to play Twisted Dreams you are missing out on one the best modern platformers we have, a fact Owlverlord only further solidifies. Black Forest Games have continued to impress me more than I would have expected from such humble Kickstarter beginnings, and now have me wishfully hoping a true Giana Sisters 2 is on the horizon.

Don't delay, there's an Owlverlord to topple!

Personal rating: 8/10

This is the standalone expansion to Giana Sisters - Twisted Dreams.

Much like its core game, the Rise of the Owlverlord is fun, creative and difficult. The game forces the player to shift between "cute" and "punk" Giana constantly in order to make progress or survive traps even more than the original game. Traps are always there making the player balance out cleverness and reflexes, and enemies are strategically put most of times to aid reaching a secret area or merely to pose an extra challenge.

Swapping between cute and punk Giana is a must here and the game will never let you forget about this even once. Swapping can be done between a specific key assigned to it or by using the Fireball Roll (which automatically swaps to punk Giana) or twirling (which swaps to cute Giana). At first it may seem simple, but the game will have creative ways to spice up things as levels goes by.

Running and jumping is very precise as you'd expect (and want) in a platformer, the controls feels great and runs smoothly at all times.

Unlike the core game Rise of the Owlverlord holds no punches and throws everything it can as soon you decide to play. Mercifully there is a "Normal" mode which considerably ramps down the difficulty inserting safe places between death traps and removing certain gimmicks that would require split second reaction to bypass.

However as soon you decide to pick "Hard" mode you're in for a rough ride as the game will not hold your hand even for the first second of the first level, but playing at hard difficulty will allow you to earn rank stars and will unlock the finished level for Time Attack and Score Attack mode.

For those seeking for more challenge the game still have the Hardcore difficulty (which removes every checkpoint) and the Über Hardcore (which gives you one, single life for the entire game).

Rise of the Owlverlord follows just as well the core game and is more than a "more of the same" expansion, it is a fine platformer with beautiful graphics, amazing controls and brutally difficult if you are not used to platformers.

I'd not say it's a must-buy, but Rise of the Owlverlord is definately a good purchase, if you don't mind difficult games. With plenty of replayability and a great soundtrack, I've found this to be a great addition to my library.

This expansion set is so cheap it's worth it just for the soundtrack, which is, more from Chris Hülsbeck.

Add in 7 fun levels and 7 different game modes to play with, yeah, it's worth it.

Nuff' said;

This game picks up where the original left off, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna fall off every other game to ride this one to the end. 10/10 Probably GotY material and is definately chalk full of solid gameplay you come to expect from AAA titles,

IF you avoid this game, you must enjoy avoiding fun...

I love this game! The art makes it a wonderful place to spend some time. Add to that the fun twisting-musical score and you are instantly transported into a world that is worth investing some time in. And, do plan on investing some time because make not mistake, this is a challenging game! As a fan of the old-style Sonic games, I was in platformer heaven! The price is extremely reasonable, and that gameplay itself is responsive, logical and, most importantly, fun! I recommended it!

Consider this an expansion pack, not a full-fledged title. Gameplay remains exactly the same, so look at my old review if you want a rundown of it.

Otherwise, if you liked the first one I suggest purchasing this as well. There are 10 levels, but they're much longer than before. The music's new, so there's no rehashing there.

There's really not much to say that I didn't already say in my review of the first title. It's a comptetent indie platformer that doesn't do what others do and go for the 'retro' 8-bit look which is getting aggrivating. The music's great; platforming is more original than anything Nintendo has churned out in close to a decade; difficulty isn't some stupid ♥♥♥ 'Super Meat Boy' levels of retardation. Just ♥♥♥♥ing buy it already.

Fans of the original Giana Sisters will find more of what they loved from the first game, and newcomers can ease into the series with the relaxed difficulty setting. The Giana Sisters continues to be one of this generation’s best platforming experiences.Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Rise of the Owlverlord is a good stand-alone expansion pack, with well designed levels that fix some of the flaws of the first game.The excellent "twist" mechanics are quite the same, the difficulty is more balanced and we have 6 new levels and 1 boss for a rather small price.Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams – Rise of the Owlverlord is a great game, especially for those looking for a platformer to challenge their reflexes.

Hi People,

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is not the typical horizontal scrolling platform game with one button to move the character and another to jump. If you have played the ancestors, The Grat Giana Sisters and Giana Sisters DS you know I'm trying to tell you.

In this game you have the possibility to manipulate your dreams and transform the character when you want to be able to jump, glide, kill the enemies, etc. You can transform Giana in any moment and choose the prudent/demure Giana or the aggressive Giana depending the situation. It's important to emphasise that you can transform Giana ALWAYS you want over and over again. When you play with the "cute/shy/prudent" Giana you can only kill the enemies jumping over them like the typical platform. But, when you play with the "aggressive" Giana you can kill the enemies jumping over them or by means of the special attack consisting in transform Giana in a fire ball more or less like Sonic when rolls.

Moreover, another important thing is the stage of the game. Why? Because the stage have a little changes depending on the tranformation of Giana you have in this moment. For example, If you have the "Cute" Giana you will have in front of you a solid wall impossible to cross, but if you tranform the character and you play with the "aggressive" Giana this solid wall disappear allowing you to cross because you are playing in two different dreams (I think it is like a big puzzle).

To sum up:

Pros:
-Original platform game
-Excellent Stages (1080p 60Hz)
-Frenetic game in lots of situations with fast scenes.
-Excellent controls with Microsoft 360 pad.

Contras:
-Boring game depends on the level and could be repetitive.
-Easy. I want to enable the difficult level and I hope it will be better.
-You don't have "lifes" and you can die as many times as you want to.

In conclusion, YES i would recommend it to anyone!

Bye!
Bovinoid

Well for how much I bought it for its a great deal. One dollar, heck even 3 buck would be fine for this title, but I'm not so sure about the full price. Beautiful artistic direction, great sound, very interesting game mechanics... but 7 levels. Although yes, they do have much replay value, after playing them about 3 times total, well, thats about as much replay you can get out of it. Take it or leave it, just realize with the purchase you are getting a very short game, not necisarily a bad thing. If your a budget gamer like me however, I would wait untill it goes on a steam sale. If the price doesnt bother you, definitly go for it.


EDIT: 5 Bucks is fine for the game, just remember it is short.

Muy adictivo, ambientación maravillosa y muy original. Si te gustan juegos del tipo Mario, Sonic, etc. este juego te gustará. Very addictive, wonderful setting and very original. If you like games like Mario, Sonic... you will love this game.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams – Rise of the Owlverlord is a great game, especially for those looking for a platformer to challenge their reflexes. It’s a difficulty that isn’t soul destroying, but actually fun, as the game tasks you with mastering its controls to overcome it. Anyone can get into this title, and with a low entry price, new players can test the waters to see if they enjoy what is on offer in exchange for minimal harm to their wallet. Existing fans will eat up the challenge delivered by these new levels, as those are the best stages the series has ever featured. It’s going to be interesting to see what Black Forest Games does next, because Rise of the Owlverlord demonstrates that the studio has a knack for creating enjoyable, challenging platforming games.