A Sister’s Journey

This Metroidvania has very clear influences, but also its own unique strengths. The heroine of A Sister’s Journey is a tiny figure in a pixelated world full of spikes, enemies and chasms. Both stylistically and in terms of gameplay, the adventure clearly draws on modern precision platformers such as Celeste. But this world is more dangerous – fortunately, so is the heroine, who wields powerful weapons. And it’s not just about progressing; rather than simply traversing the world, we explore it in every direction. In doing so, we must take out cleverly placed enemies, uncover secrets and overcome fair but very challenging platforming sections. The pixel art in A Sister’s Journey is atmospheric and has its own distinct identity. Above all, the dynamic, varied water effects bring every screen to life. A Sister’s Journey is tough, but also very fair – we were impressed that accessibility has been taken into account even at the prototype stage. Numerous customisation options allow players to enjoy the game at different ability levels, going far beyond traditional difficulty settings.

The DCP Jury 2023