Lately, I’ve found myself in a bit of a platformer groove. Games like Alwa’s Legacy, Ary and the Secret of Seasons, and going back to play Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, have really fed this craving. So, when I saw the trailer for YesterMorrow, I was really intrigued. I’m a time-travel fanatic in games, so the concept of traveling between fixed points in time in a platformer was a cool sell. This doesn’t really matter to the topic at hand, but if you like time travel stuff and you own a PS2, check out Shadow of Destiny. It’s a bit of a deep-cut from the nostalgia pile, but it is pretty cool.

However, unlike Shadow of Destiny, YesterMorrow is not (per se) a murder mystery. Well, unless you consider the destruction of a peaceful existence as the inhabitants know it, as a murder. Let me circle back and explain. You play as Yui, the daughter of a TimeKeeper, meant to protect their world from dark shadow creatures.

After her world is destroyed and corrupted by this malevolent force, Yui finds herself trying to recover her family, which has been kidnapped by the darkness her father once defended against. By traveling from the corrupted future to her past (and back again), she will harness the power of Everlight to try and reverse what has happened. In doing so, she will also hopefully be able to save her family.

Now YesterMorrow has some combat elements in it, but initially, it is mostly a puzzle-platformer. To progress, you may need to venture through an area in a certain time period to reach another time gate, so you can progress in the future (or the past) to reach your goal. The beginning hours are somewhat frustrating because you have to avoid enemies rather than fighting them.

Once you gain the first combat ability though, things become a bit trickier. By defeating corrupted enemies, you release the shadow possessing them. You then have to kill that shadow as well. Both the combat and the platforming are very unforgiving, so sometimes it can be frustrating trying to get through an area full of enemies.

This is especially the case since the only way to retain progress is to reach a checkpoint shrine, which fills up your health and marks your progress. If you have an issue clearing a room just past a shrine or right before a new one, it can become an exercise in frustration trying to get through that area. The options in YesterMorrow are minimal, so there aren’t difficulty settings or accessibility options to make this easier on folks who may have a hard time with traditional action/puzzle platformers.

The story and puzzle elements are interesting. However, as you play you will quickly begin to see cracks in the proverbial foundation of the game. Firstly, the map is useless and the in-game journal doesn’t give you much direction. So, if you get turned around or have a long period of time between play sessions, you will be lost until you fumble around and figure out where to go.

Additionally, I can’t speak on the PC version, but the Switch version has some *serious* graphical issues. Sections of the environment will cease to animate properly and instead show jagged flashing lines of pixels which can be harmful to people with sensitive eyes, those with epilepsy, or people prone to seizures in general.

I encountered this multiple times, in multiple areas. Normally I would have thought that it was just a single area not loading properly, but it happened on multiple days, in multiple areas, and has not seemed to be patched out yet. This is a really big problem that I hope is rectified by the developers because, to be honest, the visuals are gorgeous but if people prone to migraines (like myself) or seizures can’t play, that’s a big issue.

If you are playing the PC version and haven’t encountered this issue, then it may be that the Switch version has encountered bugs they haven’t squashed yet. I’m not inclined to demonize the game entirely for this, but it is definitely a buyer beware situation.

Moving on from that, there is a lot to do, see, and experience in YesterMorrow. The plot is interesting, there are lots of secrets to collect that provide more lore to the game, and you can collect things like heart containers to increase your max health. Have I mentioned that there are animals all throughout the game that you can pet? Oh yes, there are cats, dogs, foxes, and lots of stuff to pet and find. Some of them are well hidden too.

I wanted to be a bit more upbeat with my opinion of YesterMorrow, but to be honest with you, the Switch version has not impressed me. Despite the game being fun, with a cool premise and visuals, the bugs and issues it has just make it hard to praise. If you decide to pick this up on Switch I would definitely recommend waiting for a sale. I’ve seen some people talk about issues with the PC version though, so definitely beware as you buy.

There are a lot of secrets and lots of stuff to find, but with the uneven difficulty and the screen/visual issues, I’d have a hard time finding this game worth sticking with. If you like puzzle platformers and are willing to take a chance on it, by all means. Just know that while the game looks and sounds pretty, the foundation is crumbling a little bit.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of YesterMorrow was provided by Blowfish Studios for this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

YesterMorrow

$19.99 USD

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Great Puzzles
• Simple Controls
• Fun Premise
• Lots of Secrets and Stuff to Collect

Cons

• The Map is Terrible
• Graphical Issues Galore
• Uneven Difficulty
• Very Few Accessibility Options