Ilomilo

Reunite two best friends in this lighthearted puzzler

Release: January 5, 2011 (Xbox LIVE), December 6, 2012 (PC)

By Ian Coppock

I'm not going to lie. Short Horror Week wore me out. After seven days of terrifying and super-heavy games, I decided to go to the opposite end of the spectrum, and review the lightest, cutest game I own: Ilomilo. Players must navigate both Ilo and Milo (the little creatures up top) through a series of blocky puzzles so that they can reunite. If you can navigate the game, you're rewarded with a heartwarming little dance. So much better than Gaming Points.

The Story

Ilo (right, female) and Milo (left, male) the cutest couple in video games or real life.

Ilimilo's charm lies in its bedtime story-esque tale. In the game, Ilo and Milo leave their houses each morning and meet in the middle of a large park, to eat maple biscuits and drink apple tea. Curiously enough, the park's layout changes each day. It's up to the player to navigate the park and reunite them.

Quite a bit lighter than Slender or Pesadelo, huh?

An Ilomilo Puzzle. Yes, Milo is standing at a 90-degree angle. The game ignores gravity

The game comprises several dozen puzzles that gradually become more difficult. All of them take place in the game's park, an ethereal world with bright backgrounds. The puzzles the player navigates float in this ether, and he/she controls Ilo and Milo to complete challenges and navigate the blocks. When you get one of these little creatures to walk into the other, they've reunited, and you've won the puzzle. Hooray! They can now eat maple biscuits and apple tea (this is the cutest snack of All Time).

Dude, are you okay?

Throughout the game, Ilo and Milo are aided by Sebastian, a comatose munchkin riding on a giant beetle. The game is not afraid to engage in the cutesy weird, building a mini-mythos around the park. Loading screens are punctuated by strange but charming tales, like how Sebastian made a game console that doubles as a waffle iron (I MUST find this console).

After a few morning meetings, Ilo and Milo decide that they want to be together forever. Rather than return to their homes, they embark a journey to find a place to live together. The story sees them navigating new environments, including a vast ocean and a charming autumn village. Players navigate Ilo and Milo along rows of blocks, using small tools and each other's assistance to solve the puzzle.

The entire tale is allegorical for a love story between two humans, Ilona and Milton. Collecting enough of the flower petals scattered throughout the world will unlock love letters between the two. As you progress throughout the game, Sebastian will also tell a tale called the Huntsman and the Fox. This blend of storytelling added to the game's rich visuals. I was left wondering if Ilo and Milo was its own story or a representation of Ilona and Milton's tale, but this was left unanswered. Oh well. MOAR PUZZLES.

This game's story was refreshingly cute. It's a simple tale that relies as much on the simplicity of its premise as the charm of its visuals. The story wasn't incredibly heavy, and acted more as a framing device for the chapterfulls of puzzles. But I was cool with this; I was motivated to finish the puzzles so that Ilo and Milo could be together. They also perform an awesome little dance at each puzzle's conclusion (did I already mention the awesome little dance?)

The Artwork

Ilomilo's graphics are big, bubbly and saturated with bright colors. The artwork is shamelessly kiddy, with curled, pollen-emitting grass, vast backgrounds of flowers and floating castles, and bizarre sock-puppet creatures lurking in the background. Some of the blocks reminded me of various foods, especially apples, wine and cheesecake. There's a good chance this game will make you hungry.

OMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM

The game's French origins are made most prevalent in its music. Ilomilo's score is saturated with accordians and woodwinds. Little sound effects will go off every time you switch between Ilo and Milo. You can also find small pieces of artwork throughout the world, such as records and postcards.

Ilomilo is a good example of synchronization between art and story. The story's cuteness and the visuals' charm complement each other very well. Again, after some incredibly frightening games, Ilomilo's lightness was just what I needed.

Should I get it?

Ilomilo is ten bucks (800 points) on Xbox LIVE, and is available on Steam. The game is not available on PSN. It's a challenging puzzler that takes about 6-8 hours to complete. I recommend it on the merits of its level design and overall charm, but it's not a get-or-die recommendation. If you're in the mood to add a spring to your step and solve some little puzzles, go crazy. If not, no big loss and keep on truckin'. 

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