Linn: Path of Orchards from Carbon Fire Studio and Fanoos Games is a charming 2D puzzle platformer on Nintendo Switch. Check out our Linn: Path of Orchards review!
In Linn: Path of Orchards from Carbon Fire Studio and Fanoos Games, you will take control of Aban, an exotic guardian of nature who is exploring a lost sky temple. This will lead her to work on rejuvenating the ancient Tree of Light. Your main goal for each of the 50+ rotating stages you will take on is relatively simple: help Aban reach the exit. Each of these stages – which are split into four chapters – will also have extra bonus objectives to take on if you’re the type of gamer who likes to 100% games.
There will be Shards to collect, a special Elder Shard you can grab, a limit on the number of moves you can make before finishing the stage, or a total time you must spend on the ground. Most of the time, some of these objectives will be mutually exclusive – you won’t be able to get the Elder Shard for a level if you focus on not making more than X moves for that stage – which means you’ll end up replaying some of the stages.
You will control the game either with the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, or by using the console’s touchscreen when playing in Portable or Tabletop Mode, or when you play Linn: Path of Orchards on a Nintendo Switch Lite. The controls are very simple since Aban will run automatically at the start of a stage, so you’ll be working on pressing a direction on the D-Pad or swiping with your finger to make her move in a different direction, jumping with the B button, or by swiping up on the screen as needed. If you swipe up again while in the air or press the B button one more time, you’ll double jump. Double-tap in the same direction while in the air – or swipe in the direction that Aban is running – and you’ll do a quick dash.
New elements will be introduced as you go through each of the four chapters in Linn: Path of Orchards, giving gamers a chance to get used to them before something else is thrown into the mix. Chapter 1 will be an extended tutorial of sorts so that you can get used to the way Aban controls and how she’ll be able to jump, dash, and double dash around each level as everything twists around her. Then at the start of chapter 2, teleporters will be introduced, which send her from one teleporter to the matching pair in a blink. Once you need to collect special shards to power up the exit door that will take you to the next stage, you’ll be a puzzle platforming expert!
To bump up the challenge, you can aim at completing all of the objectives in chapter 1 to unlock Night Mode. Night Mode features 20 extra levels that are harder to beat than what is available in the main game, which is why it’s probably best if you leave them for after you’ve completed all of the main stages. You also need to beat each of the chapters in the game and complete a bunch of objectives to unlock every single level in Night Mode – not to mention that completing objectives will also be needed for you to progress through the four main chapters that Linn: Path of Orchards has to offer.
Linn: Path of Orchards is a charming puzzle platformer with easy to understand gameplay mechanics, a relaxing soundtrack, and a colorful, minimalist art style that rounds out a very addictive experience. It’s a bite-sized puzzle game that you should be able to finish in 2-3 hours at most, depending on your experience with puzzle platformers. Linn: Path of Orchards is out now on Nintendo Switch for a budge $4.99 asking price.
Disclaimer
This Linn: Path of Orchards review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Carbon Fire Studio.
