The Spirit and the Mouse: a demo of the Ratatouille game not so radiant?

Game News The Spirit and the Mouse: a demo of the Ratatouille game not so radiant?

A cute Disney story

Here you are in the skin of Lila, a mouse (which moreover looks more like a rat) who becomes, following an electrifying flash, Guardian of the spirits. It is Lumion, a spiritual entity, which granted him this role. But the latter comes with a heavy task: make happy the inhabitants of Sainte-et-Claire, a small French village.

To tell the truth, one has especially the impression to evolve/move in a miniature Paris. The streets of Sainte-et-Claire clearly have this vibes a rather clichéd Parisian woman found in many representations of the city. Add to this piano music recalling in particular Amelie Poulain (not to mention the traditional beret worn by certain characters) and no doubt, we are in France. That said the atmosphere, both visual and sound, takes well and it is pleasant to dive into it.

Unfortunately, independent studio obliges, the graphics are not necessarily there. Frozen textures, small visual bugs, repetitiveness in the sets… The developers at Alblune games have small means and, inevitably, it shows. Nothing to scream scandal either, the rendering is more than correct, but we know in advance that the graphics will put some players off.

But if that doesn’t scare you, you will be able to discover a perky and almost moving adventure. As we said, the goal is to bring joy and happiness around you. Each level begins with a situation that you witness. In the demo, it’s about an elderly person who sees his routine disrupted by a specific event. Without falling into the dramatic, The Spirit and the Mouse still manages to arouse empathy and an overall benevolence that makes us forget the caricatural side of the characters. The Spirit and the Mouse has this little side feel good who does good. He thus did not steal his place at the Wholesome Direct. But in terms of game sensations, what does it give?

Rat-Dotage on the Horizon

The Spirit and the Mouse is a game that is divided into different levels. Each of them offers you to venture freely in a small section of the city (from the streets to the roofs) in order to find the way to solve the problem initiated in its beginnings. If we find a little exploration side with the possibility of browsing in every corner of the small area proposed to find collectibles, the gameplay is still quite limited. Jumping (in a somewhat rigid way) and triggering an electric charge are the only actions possible during this demo. So much so that we end up mechanically walking the streets of Sainte-et-Claire, electrocuting any object in our path to collect small rewards.

In terms of quests, the game also follows a fairly mechanical pattern. Listen to the locals’ grievances, find a Kibblin box, activate it with some lightning bolts, and help a number of Kibblins to power the box. Each Kibblin will thus give you a specific mission often limited to going back and forth in the city to find the object of their desires. Nothing well developed in itself, nor anything to fully stand out, but we still have a pleasant time in Sainte-et-Claire.

However, once the demo is finished, we have the impression of having already done the trick and the desire to come back to it does not appear. The Spirit and the Mouse doesn’t really have any crippling flaws, but struggles to make an impression. Perhaps the game will have more to offer us in future levels, but in the difficult state of not being afraid it will produce a lackluster and overly repetitive experience.

In contrast, The Spirit and the Mouse will undoubtedly retain an air of wonder for children. Like a good Disney, the game has that certain something that makes it a great experience for the little ones and a pleasant journey for the older ones. Cute, rather pretty and exotic, the title has something to please lovers of small independent adventures full of benevolence. However, if you are totally hermetic to these, there is little chance that you will find any real interest in them.

As a reminder, The Spirit and the Mouse is scheduled for PC and Nintendo Switch in the course of 2022.