Erayu

Video games can be the perfect portals to different worlds, especially if you do not feel too welcomed in the real one. Obviously, they should only be ways for people to occasionally escape from reality, but it would seem like many are using them to forget about their real lives entirely. Granted, except for a few MMOs, there are very few games that can keep one occupied for long periods of time.

Erayu is a role-playing game in which you witness the same thing happen to a young boy after he finds a mysterious video game in a store. In short, this looks and plays like a top-down RPG most of the time, but it’s actually more of an adventure game when you really get down to it. However, it features exquisite artwork and decent level design, so it should be a fairly relaxing experience nonetheless.

The story takes place in two different worlds at once, namely the real world and a fantasy world ruled by magic and monsters. It all starts in the real world, when Josh finds a strange video game in a store and takes it home. As it happens, the world contained within that video game needs help, otherwise it will be engulfed by darkness. It’s a pretty simple plot, but it can be fun under the right circumstances.

There are a few issues when it comes to how you interact with the game world and the characters, mainly because you have to click on objects, and it’s not a very precise process most of the time. It would be much easier to use a classic WASD control scheme, especially since the resolution is so low and you cannot tell what you’re looking at most of the time.

In spite of that, the artwork is actually mesmerizing sometimes, especially when it comes to the contrast between the two worlds you get to explore. Both of them have beautiful parts, and the colors are bright enough to make you wonder which one is which sometimes. The music is pretty nice as well, although it can get repetitive after a while.

In the end, Erayu could have used a bit more work in the gameplay department, but it turned out pretty well in the end. However, the artwork and the atmosphere are the two most engaging elements, which is definitely good news if you are trying to relax for a bit.