First, let me say, I love games that include real art from real artists. Well, this game has plenty of it. It is a wonder to behold in the graphics department. The animation is super smooth and the soundtrack is as engaging as it can be. The way the developers pieced this game together is a triumph of 2D gaming. I may have an affinity for these types of games because they are beautiful, but I think even the hardcore gamer who sits around playing polygonal shooters all day could find the grace in this game. There is simply something mesmerizing about it. Whether it is the soft lighting that helps you explore the underwater world or the frantic feeling you get when you encounter a large enemy for the first time, you want to further the story.

The 2D aspect of the game and maybe the fact that the game takes place under water may make some players look elsewhere for their gaming fix. But those who try this game know why many people are still spending their hard earned cash on the game to this day.

PROS:
- Absolutely gorgeous
- Great sound work and sountrack
- Levels are created with care and are just as nice to explore
- The cooking aspect and spell generation are quite unique
- Works on older PPC Macs as well as Intel
- Level editor and modding tools are great for those looking to add their own spice to the game

CONS:
- Hmmmm.. I really have to think about this one. What does that tell you about how good this game is?

Sometimes a game comes along that really catches you off guard. I wasn't expecting this to be the caliber that it is. I was expecting something simple, and linear. This is far from simple and linear!

After just a few minutes into the game I found it stunning. It may have sprites and static imagery, but its done in a style and fluid movement system that makes it slick and awesome.

The world is massive, I'm barely near the end of what seems to be an endless world. I was half expecting a few areas, some bosses, and be done with it. However I just got into a new section, and now there are branches out everywhere, going to even larger and larger sections. It has these 'fast travel turtles', but I've only found one! So how big is this place?!

The music and sound are smooth and clean. Mesmerizing music that tends to change the further you go into different areas. Its not digitized crud that makes your ears bleed after two minutes. The sound effects are nice, and plentiful. Every different thing in the world has their own unique sounds.

Wanted to mention some other specifics for those interested to know:

- This game does NOT screw up everything else you are running when it changes resolutions! It is built right to handle resolution changes gracefully, which is a HUGE plus to me (cause I have countless apps and windows open all the time).

- The in-game interface is so-so. Klunky in the food and item interface where you have to keep 'paging' through things, instead of simply scroll. However it works for the most part, just a little clumsy. The actual controls of the character are done very well, with different methods for different types of people. The 'singing' pop-menu works wonderfully with the pace of the game too.

- My MacBook Pro is an older 2.4 ghz intel non-unibody model. Has the nvidia 8600M gpu. Runs the game perfectly fluid in widescreen with many other apps running in the background. Running smooth on a laptop makes this game great for trips or even on the side.

I highly recommend this game to all ages, and all types of people. I'm a hard core gamer at heart, but I absolutely enjoy this game.

This game is amazing. Beautiful art, beautiful music, beautiful story line. Tough boss battles and some tough things to do but highly addicting. The world is HUGE and this game is well worth the money. I actually paid less when Mac Games had a special, but if I had known how awesome it is, I would not have waited to buy. It is well worth the money. Also has mods, I have never done this but am excited to do so, create my own levels and things. It teaches you how to do this as well. The music is so sweet I may have to buy the soundtrack.