One Last Breath from Moonatic Studios, Maniac Panda Games and Catness Game Studios is a title that’s extremely reminiscent of great games such as Limbo and Inside. If you’ve played either of those games, chances are you’ll enjoy One Last Breath.
So what exactly makes One Last Breath enjoyable?
One Last Breath
In One Last Breath, players will take on the role of a plant-like humanoid creature. The game doesn’t tell you anything about its world nor does it have any significant voice acting. You’re thrust straight into the deep end and just have to adventure forward. This isn’t something new and Limbo did this too. I also reviewed a similar game called Stela on Nintendo Switch a few years ago which One Last Breath reminded me of. So yes it’s formulaic but if the formula ain’t broke, there’s no reason to mess with it.
One Last Breath slowly builds up its story through visual effects and set pieces. As you venture forward you’ll slowly but surely start to piece together the fact that the world you’re in has suffered a great calamity. There are monsters roaming in the background, there’s overgrown plants and wild animals everywhere and there’s barely any trace of human life.
The game’s visuals are strikingly beautiful with cinematic backdrops and gorgeous environments that make extensive use of silhouettes and darker visuals. Gameplay in One Last Breath involves very straightforward movement with interaction with objects and jumping to overcome or avoid obstacles.
There are traps in the environment and you will die a few times when playing the game but overall, the game’s difficulty is perfectly suited for everyone including super casual gamers to enjoy. This is a game that’s more about the visual narrative rather than anything else and the environments truly carry it from start to finish.
There are some moments in One Last Breath in which some more direction would have been appreciated but this would detract from the joy you feel when you solve a puzzle and overcome a problem. For example, without spoiling too much, in an early section, you’ll use your powers to open up an area by removing giant roots and free a mining cart. However in doing so, you’ll also free an enemy which can kill you.
You’ll have to solve this particular puzzle by using your playable character and their root control abilities in a clever way to keep the enemy trapped so that you can progress. It’s fairly easy to do but you may end up dying the first time around.
As the game goes on, some of the puzzles do become a bit more challenging with levers, crates, pushable objects and buttons but nothing becomes severely problematic. Most of the puzzles in One Last Breath are solvable after some basic thought is applied. This isn’t a frustrating puzzle platformer game but rather a straightforward simplistic one.
The soundtrack of One Last Breath is great with music that’s heavy on atmospheric synth vibes. The creepy sounds made by the monsters are eerie and it does put you on edge when they are around. The game’s overall vibe gives off dark melancholy and it’s great in conveying its themes of a dying world that needs saving from mutated creatures. You’ll want to adventure forward to learn more about the world. The environments in the game are all so visually pleasing to look at even if they are a tad on the dark side.
Final Verdict
One Last Breath doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It’s a formulaic, puzzle platformer with a gorgeous yet dark 2.5D aesthetic. Given the game’s short length, One Last Breath is perfectly suited for playing on the go so if you have a Steam Deck or an Asus ROG Ally, this is a title that I can recommend playing. The game is rather short coming in at around 2-3 hours depending on your play style but it’s an enjoyable 2-3 hours. Give the game a try, it’s definitely worth checking out.
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