Candleman: The Complete Journey is full of intriguing concepts. It is a basic, but well-designed fairy-tale production that, despite its cheap budget, gives enough amusement.
We guide a little candle through several hurdles on its route to the objective – a massive lantern. The intense light of his idol enchants the hero. The wax figure’s fantasy is to glow so brightly that it can break through the blackness of the night. The gameplay concept does not appear to be especially novel – we just explore levels laden with traps and spatial problems. Most of the time, strong timing and reflexes are required. As a result, they are similar to other games of this sort that have previously been released. Fortunately, there is one characteristic that sets Candleman apart from other logical products.
The hero may brighten the darkness in addition to movement, which is strongly tied to the gameplay. This is a crucial skill that serves as the game’s pivot. We’ll spend the most of the time in full darkness, with just the hero as a source of light. There is a problem here: the wick burning at the candle’s tip melts the hero’s body, preventing it from glowing continually. Instead, you should be thrifty, because entirely depleting the wax shortens the candle’s life. We can only light for 10 seconds at a time in each level. The developers make superb use of the candle’s capabilities as well as its limitations. Sometimes the player has switch on the light for a few seconds to remember where the edge from which he must jump finishes. Surprisingly, the melting paraffin remains at the location where the player started the fire. The specks are visible in the dark and remain stationary long after a life is lost. This will help you maneuver your hero better the next time you attempt.
The skilled utilization of the light of a little flame is frequently used in game systems. For example, you must exercise caution around plants that respond to fire, and you may need to use pyrotechnics to clear a path. There is no repetition because each level provides fresh rules. The visuals are unimpressive, and the place ideas, like the opponents, are pretty plain. We occasionally reach levels with no backdrop at all. However, the game compensates for its flaws with a fairy-tale style that may enchant with its hues. Another small issue is that the hero lacks a voice and a face, depriving him of any emotions. As a result, it’s impossible to like or identify with him – despite the fact that so little would be enough to make a tiny candle more pleasant and expressive.
Candleman’s main issue is that its formula is too basic. However, the game hooks you to the screen – just when we think the developers have run out of ideas, the following levels surprise us. We will not remember a brief narrative about a candle for a long time, yet it is a moving story.