Mirage 7 Review

If you want a modern, highly polished, and deep adventure experience, Mirage 7 won’t be on your list. This dated title takes inspiration from the PS2 era. Furthermore, it is seriously lacking by modern standards. However, if you love old-school gaming and you have a soft spot for retro adventure games, this will make you smile to your core.

Drakkar Dev developed this dark fantasy title. It is a single-player, third-person game that tells a weird and captivating plot. Moreover, there are rudimentary tools to create, some minor survival elements to understand, and plenty of odd creatures to overcome.

Mirage 7 keeps you guessing.

The plot was as deep as a puddle, but Mirage 7 kept me guessing throughout. I couldn’t tell if it was a dream, a nightmare, or something in between. All I know is the hero and her companion Jiji were caught up in a hellish world filled with monsters, traps, and puzzles.

You play the role of Nadira. This nomad is on a quest to fulfil her deepest wishes. Sadly, her sister has passed, and she would do anything to reverse this pain. A legend tells of a lost Princess called Taishma. This royal Goddess hides within the walls of the Moon Palace, and it’ll take every ounce of strength and mental prowess for the heroine to overcome every obstacle and fulfil her journey.

Simple mechanics.

Mirage 7 utilises a standard but interesting lore system. As you explore an array of dank and sinister locations, you’ll discover tablets, scrolls, and torn paper. These items piece together the ideas and mindset of those who have long perished. Although this element isn’t strictly necessary, it adds some nice depth and atmosphere to the action.

Alongside the layers of lore are simple combat elements. The hero has a dagger and a slingshot that is loaded with different ammo. Each is used to overcome puzzles or ghostly entities. Neither is too difficult to understand, and swapping between them is a walk in the park.

Your lizard companion Jiji plays a huge part in every aspect of the game. His lizard sight is used to highlight clues, find resources, and overcome minor problems. Additionally, he is used between chapters to hunt for food, kill enemies, and complete other tasks. Consequently, this was a nice breakaway from the main story.

Despite the simplicity of the combat, I enjoyed each basic fight. The dodging, weaving, and choice of weapons were enough for the underwhelming roster of monsters. If you put the fighting to one side, you’ll enjoy an array of puzzles. Whether it is simple fetch quests, environmental tasks, or riddles, Mirage 7 gets your brain working. If you struggle with this aspect of adventure games, the dev has incorporated some hints to help you along your way. Yet, I wouldn’t rely heavily on these as they are riddles in their own right.

Finally, there are some crafting and survival mechanics to be aware of. None of these elements will test you, as water somehow refills your health bar, and most of the items are used before you move to another key area. Although this makes it a little easier, it does make inventory management more enjoyable.

Mirage 7 is rough around the edges.

I didn’t expect Mirage 7 to be as rough as it was. The graphics are blocky, and the colour palette lacks finesse. However, this didn’t bother me too much as I love retro gaming. When I installed the game, I expected it to be a modern and highly polished experience. How wrong was I? The animation, stage design, lighting, and characters are brilliantly dated, and this will appeal to retro-loving gamers. The audio follows suit with its basic and repetitive ideas. Furthermore, the acting is pretty wooden, and the sound effects will not blow you away. None of these things is a complaint, as they work with the old-school appeal.

The controls are a little frustrating. Pushing items can be problematic, and the heroine moves around objects in the strangest of ways. Yet, once you get to grips with its odd nature, you’ll enjoy a refined UI, easy-to-understand combat mechanics, and Jiji’s wonderful lizard eyesight. Replay value is limited. Once you’ve completed the story, I can’t see a reason to return. Although there are 3 difficulty modes to test your skills, none of them will inspire you to come back for more.

Mirage 7 offers something a little unusual.

Mirage 7 is an interesting twist on the indie market. It offers something a little unusual that takes a step back in time. I’m not sure it will appeal to a massive audience, but lovers of nostalgia will fall for its charms. Furthermore, the use of a lizard companion to aid you on your quest was interesting. Accordingly, I think it is niche, but good, and I recommend getting a copy from the Xbox store!