Nostalgia as a concept is probably one of the most alluring things in art at the moment. Hollywood is desperate to cash in on the memories of those raised in the 80s with reboots, sequels, and the like. We’re constantly inundated with reminders from the games industry of how good games used to be, with remakes that don’t quite capture how we remember things being. So when a game like Sephonie comes around, and manages to take my fond recollections of all those 3D platformers I played as a kid while offering a more mature, contemplative idea regarding what nostalgia can be, you can absolutely guarantee it will end up being one of my favourites of the year.
Sephonie, if you haven’t been treated to the knowledge of its existence, is a 3D platformer with a strong emphasis on parkour-esque movement. It follows three biologists on their exploration of the titular island. Stylistically, I personally think it feels like a forgotten 3DS game (the highest of compliments I can offer), though it is obviously inspired by platformers from the N64-era all the way up to the PS2.
I was initially drawn to the title for a number of reasons, including my love of expressive movement in games, and the fact that Sephonie comes from the incredible team Analgesic Productions, also the creators of the Anodyne series. The reason I stayed for so long, though, was because of the way the game deals with nostalgia.
