Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams

A smash hit of a platform game! Many even compare it to Rayman Origins. You play as two tenacious sisters. One moves through a fairytale world where all is goodness and light, the other a land of desolation. You can move between these worlds at whim, and the transition is immediate: a real technical feat! Everyone loves this one.

Ever since it first came out on the Commodore 64 in the late 1980s, Giana Sisters has left its mark on videogaming history. It's often seen as a knock-off of Super Mario Bros, because it also contains pipes, monsters with shells, and blocks to destroy. The only difference back then was that the main characters were girls – and powerful ones at that – 40 years before Nintendo even thought about doing the same with Princess Peach!

With Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Black Forest Games has reimagined the classic by bringing it into the modern era of platform games, but forewarned is forearmed: the gameplay is a stiff challenge that demands precision, and this is a genuinely difficult platformer. Every interaction demands extreme precision, with the slightest touch proving fatal, sending you back to your last checkpoint just like in the good old days!

The game is based on traditional platforming mechanics: jumping, crushing enemies, climbing platforms and collecting diamonds to increase your score and reach the final boss.

Our favourite part? The original gameplay. At the push of a button you can alternate between two different versions of Giana. One is elegant like a princess, able to whirl and glide over long distances. The other is a bit of a rock chick, and she can turn into a deadly ball of fire. Switching characters also changes the environment, with the obstacles, doors, platforms, and even the enemies reacting differently to each version of Giana. This results in dynamic levels where strategy and quick thinking are the keys to progress.

We liked the 3D environments combined with 2D gameplay. The graphics are beautiful and produce colourful, detailed environments. The transition between the "cute" and "demonic" versions of the levels is really polished, with the change of sisters affecting not only the level's appearance but also its soundtrack: one is based more on synths, the other more hard rock, and the transition between musical styles is also smooth as can be. A real treat.

Our advice? For players in the mood for an extra challenge, try out Time Attack and Score Attack modes, which are perfect for putting your speed and precision skills to the test. There's also Hardcore and Uber-Hardcore modes for a yet more extreme challenge: to unlock them, you'll need to earn five stars in the boss levels, which is already an intense achievement for even the bravest and most determined players.

With Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Black Forest Games has successfully reinvented a classic hard platformer for a new, more feminist generation.