Mesoké, a relaxing flying fantasy adventure - Review

Mesoké is a relaxing fantasy adventure that puts players in the role of the titular heroine, who is capable of flying through a series of dream-like worlds. Instead of combat, challenging enemies, or a complex story, the game's focus is on exploration, collecting mysterious Chi Orbs, and unlocking new locations connected by portals. With beautiful graphics, an atmospheric soundtrack, and a very enjoyable flying system, Mesoké makes it clear from the very beginning that it wants to be a calm, meditative experience focused on relaxation and enjoying its beautiful fantasy landscapes.

However... Even though I'm a huge fantasy fan, this is exactly where my biggest problems with the game begin...

EXPLORING DREAM-LIKE WORLDS

As a huge fantasy fan, I absolutely love the idea of being able to travel through different worlds, especially dream-like ones. But there's one massive problem I simply can't forgive this title for – all of those worlds are SO SMALL that it's actually unreal. The fact that those worlds are so small, even though the concept and the idea itself are so big... I simply can't forgive that.

A large number of different worlds alone isn't enough to justify their size. I believe the developers could have found a much better balance between the number of locations and the amount of space each of them offers for exploration. There are plenty of titles with maps larger than all of these worlds combined, yet they still don't take up that much storage space. Mesoké is only 5 GB, and honestly, I wouldn't mind at all if it took up another 10 GB if that meant getting truly massive and unforgettable worlds to explore.

The worlds themselves are actually pretty beautiful. Every location has its own unique theme and vibe, and each one is gorgeous in its own way... AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HURTS THE MOST. What bothers me the most about this entire adventure is the gap between the concept and its execution. The moment I enter a new world, Mesoké basically tells me to focus on these beautiful, mysterious, dream-like environments... And then, after just 30 seconds, I find myself asking: "Wait a second... That's it?? That's the entire world?!"

When I first read the description of this title, I immediately started imagining huge surreal landscapes, flying for miles, getting lost, and discovering strange things across the map... AND THEN THE GAME LITERALLY GIVES ME A WORLD THE SIZE OF A SLIGHTLY LARGER PARKING LOT AND SAYS: "Here you go, explore!"

As I already mentioned, that's exactly why this hurts even more. The concept, the graphics, and the atmosphere are all so good.

If the title looked visually unappealing, I probably would've just said: "Well... Just another indie game, no big deal!"

BUT BECAUSE I SEE SO MUCH POTENTIAL IN ALL OF THIS, IT'S GENUINELY DISAPPOINTING TO SEE HOW MUCH OF THAT POTENTIAL WAS LEFT UNTAPPED...

Of course, that doesn't mean Mesoké is a bad game. But it definitely could have been much better than it is now.

Mesoké succeeds in creating a truly beautiful, dream-like atmosphere, but its worlds rarely last long enough for players to truly lose themselves in them. Despite the large number of locations, many of them feel more like brief postcards than actual places meant for exploration.

AND THE WORST PART... THAT ISN'T EVEN THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. It's the fact that there's simply nothing interesting to do in those worlds.

Small worlds would've been completely fine if there had actually been something to do in them, but there isn't...

When I started playing Mesoké, I never felt like there was any real goal, neither at the beginning nor later while exploring the different worlds. The whole point is that the game places you in the role of Mesoké, a woman who can fly, after which you unlock portals to other worlds by collecting the previously mentioned Chi Orbs. You then bring those orbs to the giant statue located in the lobby/hub to open a portal to the next world.

And that's it... Literally the only thing you do throughout the entire adventure is collect orbs. Maybe you'll come across a collectible picture here and there... WHICH, BY THE WAY, SERVES ABSOLUTELY NO PURPOSE. It makes absolutely no difference whether you collect them or not; you don't gain anything, you don't lose anything... absolutely nothing.

And that's not even the worst part... The worst part is that even when you unlock a portal to another world, it doesn't actually matter. You can literally stay in a single world, keep collecting Chi Orbs, farm them, and keep bringing them to the same statue, and the result will be exactly the same. It doesn't matter whether you unlock another portal or not, because the new worlds don't offer you any real advantage. There aren't more orbs, there aren't more collectible pictures... there's nothing.

There's no real reason to visit the other worlds unless your only goal is to admire how beautiful they are and appreciate the unique theme each new location has.

That's a huge problem for a title like this because there's an entire system built around dimensions, portals, exploration, and new worlds... But what doesn't exist is A REASON TO USE THAT SYSTEM.

The atmosphere is definitely one of Mesoké's strongest aspects, but that doesn't change the fact that the game provides very little motivation for players to continue exploring and progressing.

Almost every game answers the question: "Why am I doing this?"

In an RPG; to become stronger.

In a platformer; to complete the level.

In a survival game; to survive.

In a Metroidvania; to unlock new abilities.

But here, you collect orbs to unlock new worlds, and once you unlock them... you just keep collecting more crystals.

And that's the most dangerous thing in game design; when the progression system doesn't motivate the player to actually move forward.

GAMEPLAY AND MECHANICS

This title is very non-hostile. There are no enemies, no action, or anything similar. And that's completely okay, because Mesoké simply isn't that kind of game.

The gameplay and flying mechanics actually impressed me A LOT. I genuinely enjoyed them.

At first, it was a little difficult to understand how everything worked, especially because I was playing on a keyboard, even though the developer mentioned right from the beginning that a controller is the best way to play. I was struggling until I finally got used to the gameplay and its mechanics. However, I adapted to the controls pretty quickly, and after that, everything felt very smooth and enjoyable.

Flying is WAY TOO FUN. Moving through the worlds feels beautiful and incredibly relaxing. It genuinely calms me down as I travel through all these different locations and immerse myself in the experience that Mesoké offers.

Because of that, this is the type of title I would play after a really exhausting day or whenever I don't have the energy for anything and just want to relax. To simply fly around without any particular goal and not think about anything.

It also feels like the kind of game that's so relaxing that I could easily use it as background footage for a YouTube commentary video.

The soundtrack further enhances that relaxing feeling.

MY INTERPRETATION OF THE STORY AND ITS SYMBOLISM

There is practically no story here. When I first started playing Mesoké, I was pretty confused about what I was even supposed to do, but I think that's exactly the point.

I believe the developer intentionally left the story and its events open for players to interpret on their own. I saw it as a representation of Mesoké's meditation, where she explores her own mind through countless different worlds.

At the beginning, we're shown a cutscene of Mesoké meditating with a drawing placed in front of her. Right after that, the game throws us straight into the gameplay, where we immediately see Mesoké flying without any additional explanation. I think it's pretty safe to assume that what we're playing is actually her inner world while she's meditating.

When we're first allowed to fly, the game gives us a tutorial. At first, the atmosphere and the entire coloring are black and white, and in front of us are circles that we fly through. The more of them we pass through, the more color the game gradually begins to gain.

That could symbolize how Mesoké isn't fully in her flow state at the beginning, but slowly enters it. As she sinks deeper into that state, she's able to explore new worlds.

Another reason why I believe the game is about meditation is what happens after we finish collecting orbs in a world and pass through a shrine. We return to a sort of lobby/hub, but instead of controlling the flying Mesoké, we become a glowing sphere, which could be interpreted as her spiritual self, or in other words, her soul.

But now comes the big question:

Did Mesoké manage to convey that symbolism well enough?

If a player spends the entire adventure wondering, "Why am I collecting these orbs?", then the symbolism wasn't integrated into the gameplay well enough.

I spend a lot of time analyzing symbolism and hidden meanings, so I came to this conclusion on my own. But that's exactly where I see the biggest problem.

Someone who doesn't think that way would probably never connect all of these details. Instead, they'd spend the entire adventure wondering why they're collecting orbs in the first place. Even I, as a huge fan of symbolism, only came to this interpretation after spending a long time playing Mesoké. Because of that, I believe most players probably won't even notice what the developer may have been trying to convey.

Because of all that, I don't think Mesoké successfully conveyed the feeling of meditation and the symbolism that, in my opinion, lies beneath the entire experience.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Mesoké is one of those games that's genuinely difficult to score. On one hand, its soundtrack, beautiful visuals, relaxing atmosphere, and fantastic flying mechanics create an experience that can truly help you unwind after a long day. That's where the game shines the most.

However, behind all of that lies a strong feeling of missed potential. The worlds are visually stunning, but they're simply too small and don't offer enough reasons to explore. The system of unlocking new dimensions sounds interesting on paper, but in practice, it rarely provides a satisfying sense of progression or rewards your curiosity. Even the symbolism that I managed to uncover left me feeling like it could have been connected to the gameplay much more clearly, allowing more players to experience it.

I can't say that Mesoké is a bad game, because it isn't. On the contrary, it has some genuinely great ideas and one of the most relaxing flying systems I've experienced in quite some time. But at the same time, I can't ignore the fact that throughout my entire playthrough, I kept thinking about how much bigger, richer, and more unforgettable this game could have been.

If you're looking for a calm, meditative experience where you simply fly through beautiful fantasy worlds, Mesoké could very easily be your kind of game. But if you're expecting deep exploration, a strong sense of adventure, and worlds you'll want to lose yourself in for hours, there's a very good chance you'll walk away, just like I did, feeling that it only fulfilled a fraction of its enormous potential.