A modern remaster of the Klonoa games (especially the second, what with it being previously being PS2 exclusive) was something long sought after by us fans in the community. Now that I've had my hands on PRS, and played it here and there...
Well, I can't necessarily say it's bad, but for me at least it's kind of a let down. To make this easier, I'll break my issues down one at a time.
Before we get into it proper, though, I know there are mods that correct a few of the items that will be brought up.
However, those are third-party and accessible only to computer players. I am judging the duet pack for how it shipped.
Also. Minor Spoilers Ahead.
Pros
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1) Accessibility
NAMCO went far and above to put this on every platform they could and make it as accessible to the new generations as possible. Especially prevalent for LV, which previously only existed for the Sony PlayStation 2 and was only made harder to get ahold of thanks to the game's general uncommon status and WATA Games' shenanigans driving up the prices of all vintage game software.
2) Proper DtP Klonoa
One of my biggest issues with the Wiimake that was correct quite wonderfully here was Klonoa himself.
I did not like one bit that they originally recycled the older, tween-teen Klonoa from LV in the Wiimake.
But PRS actually has a faithful representation of kid Klonoa
Cons
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INCONSISTENT PHYSICS
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One of my favorite parts of PRS also opens a hole into one of the most confounding development choices I've ever seen.
LV appears to use the same engine (albeit with modern amenities) as it did over 20 years ago.
But DtP appears to still use the Wiimake's engine. Why though, when LV is the better one?
At least I'm lead to believe it's a different engine because Klonoa's physics change between games.
Any old guard fan will know right off the bat that in both of the original Sony games, Klonoa builds momentum when he moves. So when you let off the D-Pad, he slides forward a few more steps (unless you cancel it with a jump or turning the other way).
Phantasy-LV still has this behavior, but DtP does not.
It feels kind of jarring and weird that the game's physics were not unified.
Compare this to Crash N.Sane Trilogy. I know the more weighted physics in N. Sane as compared to the original PS1 games was a point of contention for a lot of people, but at least it was a constant across all entries of N. Sane.
REDUNDANT HUD ELEMENTS
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This one also bugs me to no end.
Throughout both DtP and LV, there special collectibles that unlock extra goodies usually post-endgame.
Across both games, though, the amount of special collectibles you have collected appears twice for some reason.
There's the original colorful displays that pop up when you first collect the collectible, and the other that's permanently under Hearts bar. It doesn't take up a lot of screen space, but it doesn't make sense to me why they would implement two visual counters for them.
BAD MUSIC LOOPS AND LACK OF POLISH
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I noticed this especially in LV; and with it being the Klonoa game I mainly grew up with and love the most, it's unbearable. The original PS2 version 20 years ago was able to seamlessly loop the streamed music, I don't understand how for NAMCO, who as far as I have seen always put their best foot forward, weren't able to do this with the PRS release.
On top of that, the animations for the cutscenes still feel as sterile and lifeless as they did back then. Not mentioning that some animations (like Klonoa's mouth movements for his taunts, or his smile when fired out of the canons in LV) are completely absent.
The extra costumes are a cute addition, but the menu for toggling them is odd.
The screen caps they use to show all of the costumes don't line up with one another and the lighting varies for some reason. It feels very rudimentary. It makes me wish they would have just used the models themselves against a default backdrop.
COMPRESSED AUDIO
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Why is DtP's audio not uncompressed?
NAMCO surely still has the original recordings before they were compressed to fit on the PS1 disc, yet they went with those compressed copies.
In a sense, it's kind of charming, but it also clashes with how every other sound effect is crisp and clear.
Especially though, it clashes with LV.
DIFFICULTY MODES
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I like the idea of the difficulty system as a concept, but I remain steadfast that neither DtP nor LV need difficulties that are easier than how the original games shipped. Hard mode should also not be locked behind game completion
AESTHETIC
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This one is more of personal gripe than anything.
I am not at all a fan of the vibrant colors, especially in the case of LV.
All the past Klonoa games have been colorful, but that colorfulness was always muted.
In my opinion, it gave the games a unique feel and, well, it's just easier on the eyes.
One thing in PRS that exasperates this vibrant colors issue is the often-times WAAAAY over-tuned Bloom and HDR effects.
It's not much of an issue on the PC releases where these effects can be toggled, but it feels garish on consoles.
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CONCLUSION
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By and large, I give it a 6.2/10.
As a final product it's playable, but I feel for fellow long standing fans it's a bit of a disappointment.
The overall lackluster and rushed quality makes me feel like PRS was made more to be a piecemeal to appease the existing fan base than to garner a larger one.
I can't really recommend it to PC users, since emulating any of the Klonoa games isn't all that resource-intensive. But if you're on a cheap desktop or laptop, PRS is probably the easier option.
