Zorya: The Celestial Sisters, A Charming Co-Op Puzzle Adventure

 Note: I received a game code from the publisher for my unbiased review. Thank you to TLM Partners for the game code. 

Zorya: The Celestial Sisters is a fully co-op game that you can play with a friend on local co-op or online co-op. The introduction to the story is done really well with beautiful artwork showing two owls who are sisters; Solveig the goddess of the sun and Aysu goddess of the moon. Aysu must safely find a path through the shadows to regain her powers that are scattered across the land. You and your game partner can decide which character you want to play as at the start of the game. I went with Solveig and my friend chose Aysu. The nice thing is you can always switch characters after a level if you like. 

Choose your character. 

The artwork for the game is beautiful with a colorful palette that looks like a fairytale storybook as it tells an interesting story of the two sisters. It is slow paced and relaxed, but that's not a bad thing as it allows you to savor the story and appreciate the art for each scene. 

Solveig and Aysu. 

Each level can be easily accessed on the world sky map and they are named after constellations. This is also where you can switch characters if you like. Each area has a set of three gems that you can get which encourages multiple playthroughs of a level to get them because one gem is for Aysu and one is for Solveig with the other being a bonus gem. This encourages switching characters as well so you can get all the gems for a level. 

The world map has many levels.

As the player controlling Solveig you have to move the shadows by changing the time of day which gives Aysu a safe path because the sunlight hurts her. You get a bird's eye view of the map so you can figure out the puzzle and which path is safe for Aysu to walk. Aysu can press buttons that open doors so that Solveig can direct the shadows. Each puzzle is a little more intricate and complex than the last and it's fun working with your co-op partner figuring out each puzzle and pathing. Communication is key as you work together throughout the game. There was definitely a lot of trial and error, but it felt great every time we solved a puzzle and got the gems in each level. 

Working together to solve the puzzle. 

That's not to say Zorya is perfect. There are issues with having to switch between the characters in order to see everything. While Solveig can see the entire map, Aysu has to work with what's in front of her and while you can switch back and forth it can be tricky especially when having to fight enemies. Solveig can stun them with the sunlight so Aysu can defeat them and keep it moving. The controls can be a little sticky at times, but for the most part it works. If you fail, you can always start over at the beginning and try the puzzle again, but that can become tedious after a bit. That being said, Zorya is a charming co-op puzzle adventure with a good story, beautiful art, and worth your time if you love puzzle games. 

Aysu collects a gem. 

*Zorya: The Celestial Sisters is now available on Nintendo Switch and Steam

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