Ben and Abi’s Excellent Adventure
With the title of this game, you might be wondering, “Lost Twins 2? Where’s the first Lost Twins game?” The first Lost Twins game is a mobile game available for download on both Android and iOS devices.
Code provided for review by Playdew! Thanks so much!
With that said, you don’t need to have played the mobile version to understand what’s going on in Lost Twins 2. (I downloaded the first just for fun and to show to my six-year-old, and the difference in art direction is night and day. It’s been fun to have on my phone though!)
There’s no real story or overarching narrative in Lost Twins 2, other than that Ben and Abi have stumbled into some fantastical environments (there are three different worlds/areas) and must work together to make their way out of each. The areas have 11 different levels in each, where you’ll switch between the two to meet at the end.
I was hoping for some kind of narrative to emerge, like in Lost in Play, which is also the tale of two siblings working through an astonishing world, but I came to understand that wasn’t the point; the point was the mechanics of working together as both characters to solve getting to each other. There’s a portal and a Fenghuang, a Chinese phoenix, at the end of each one, and in the levels, you can find three of its feathers. (The feathers unlock concept art!)
Side note: A Fenghuang is one of the creatures you come across if you’ve seen Abominable and the Invisible City, and after I watched it, I did some reading about it. Among other things, it’s a sign of grace and virtue, but also yin and yang. Check out this article from Encyclopedia Britannica if you’d like to learn more.
To achieve the goal of reuniting at the end of each level, there’s everything you would find in a puzzle-platformer. Boxes, ropes, buttons, timers, but what makes Lost Twins 2 stand out is being able to manipulate the layout of the levels themselves. Each level has three rooms that you can shift either to the left, right, up, or down to open up new areas and access items needed to reach the goal.
The music in the game was mellow and soothing, a fitting complement to the visuals. The puzzles were satisfying to accomplish, though I will admit some caused me to step back for a while. I’m generally just okay at platformers, but the levels that involved being on a timer were a bit headache-inducing. I persisted, though, for Ben, Abi, and my kiddo, who watched me play most of the game. We’ll play the local co-op version of the game someday, I’m sure. He’s working on improving his skills with a controller.
I loved the three worlds introduced in the game, though the last was my favorite. It was as if Ben and Abi’s playroom had come to life, with LEGOs, teddy bears, toy musical instruments, and the like. You even had to get batteries to power fans to help with traversal. I’m glad Playdew saved that one for last.
To end things, yes, there’s no big story here, just fun, clever puzzles, feathers to track down (and add replay value), and a mellow soundtrack that matches the dreamy, colorful visuals to a T. Timed portions in some of the levels proved tricky for me, but it’s well worth pushing through. It’s truly an enchanting puzzler Miyazaki fans will love.
Another side note: If you do enjoy puzzle platformers and chasing achievements, the game will be right up your alley. (Link to Steam Achievements)
Lost Twins 2 is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series.
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