Preview: Ebenezer and The Invisible World doesn’t have a lot of holiday cheer

destructoid.com:

It certainly isn’t a “Silent Night” while playing Ebenezer and the Invisible World. Instead of three French hens and four calling birds, your relatives will hear a ruckus as you scream at the game. There’s a lot to like, but the combat needs to be refined before this Metroidvania’s release. The visuals call back to those old Christmas specials you watch as a kid, but other than that, there’s a lot to be fixed in this holiday-themed game. Here’s a preview of the stunning, yet currently flawed Ebenezer and the Invisible World.

Set after the events of the Christmas Carol storyline, Ebenezer Scrooge is now fighting for the city’s people with the help of the spirits he meets along the way. While the demo doesn’t particularly show an intriguing storyline, the environments truly stand out with the premise. You see a prosperous holiday version of London with gorgeous architecture, lighting, and seemingly hand-drawn characters across the city. It really pops on the screen and the art style reminds you of straight-to-video/TV animated movies like Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer and The Snowman.

During the main boss battle of the demo, you can see the shimmer of the ice below while Big Ben is beaming in the distance. Buildings around the area are also adorned with greenery and garlands. The way the game uses the forefront is also striking; for example, the lantern on the bottom left of the picture above adds depth to the scene. It’s almost like a painting.

While the visuals look fantastic, it does make me wonder if the London area may get dull after a while. The observatory at the end of the demo and the sewers show that there may be other major environments to find in the game.

While the graphics are certainly