Dreamside Maroon is an ethereal exploration game that puts you in the role of Aster, a strange blue-ish gray humanoid, and tasks you with fulfilling his dream of traveling to the moon. To aid you, you're given control of a magic vine that can grow infinitely.

I will admit that anyone who read this review when I first put it up will remember that I had very little praise for this game. The camera is wonky, there's no score tally, and the controls take some getting used to. However, I've since revisited the game to give it a second chance and I suppose it has grown on me.

Apart from your goal of reaching the moon, you also have a side task of touching lanterns strewn about the gorgeous levels to help bring light to the world. There's no real way of telling how good you're doing, so there's no incentive to do it, but it does give you a reason to loiter around and soak in the atmosphere.

The music is ambient, with very little in the way of melody, but it has a very effective calming property that makes it fitting for the stress-free mood of the game.

The graphics are absolutely top-notch. Everything seems to have a warm glow, and the entire experience leaves you wishing there was a vast open landscape to explore, opposed to the sparse floating islands in game. The setting seems to be almost directly out of Shadow of the Colossus, with strange ruins and a feeling of loneliness. It's a good thing, trust me.

I may have been wrong about Dreamside Maroon. What appeared to be a pointless game has shown itself to be a true work of art. If you're into the more experimental games, give this one a shot.