A few days ago, I commented how much I love this mod after only getting the first timepiece. Little did I realize the sheer number of timepieces left to obtain; having finished the mod, I must have spent at least 15-20 hours ingame just on this one map. The scale of it is more vast and intricate than both official DLCs combined (this isn't to say anything negative at all towards Gears For Breakfast; this is to say how astonishingly massive and diverse this mod is)!


Oh, there is SO MUCH GOOD in this mod. The environments are all gorgeous and lovingly crafted, the music is amazing (kudos for making an entirely original soundtrack, by the way!), the gameplay mechanics it introduces with the water abilities are very satisfying, it's filled to the brim with references and goofy humor, and overall it feels like the perfect hub world.

I've seen a few people gripe about how you don't take damage in a lot of places, but personally I enjoyed that feature. A lot of it felt like there wasn't any pressure; in most cases, your only punishment for messing up is not progressing, which is nice when you're just trying to enjoy yourself.

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Of all the levels in this mod, I feel like the Old Tower and the Inverted Tower really stand out as my favorites. The Old Tower pushed the Water Dash concept to its limits, and its overall design really solidified that feeling of elevation; I started to feel pretty acrophobic as the level progressed! I also really enjoyed the somber feeling it conveyed. The desperate texts on the walls gave me clues as to why this tower existed, and hinted at the overall mentality of the people living there. Good bit of environmental storytelling.

The Inverted Tower, meanwhile, had a sort of surreal quality to it, being placed in the gap between two seas. That was extremely creative! The lack of music and the feeling of complete isolation made it feel very personal, as though the motivation was less about the timepiece and more about proving your own abilities. Another thing I liked about it was the variety of ways I was able to approach it; the rigging and platforms are arranged in a pretty non-linear way, as if the level expects you to find your own path to the top rather than expecting you to follow a specific path. I love being able to choose my own path, and that actually makes this my favorite level I've played.


There is very little to complain about with this mod, but of course, everything has its flaws.

The narrative is my biggest complaint. While the individual subplots were handled well enough, this mod has the potential for a broader story that never really came to fruition. You gain the powers of the sea, and when you go to the Old Tower, you see that the people there tried contacting the Water Goddess for salvation. That, to me, paints you as "The Chosen One" pretty much. Then, after you race Jim, the Watcher is shown to be the main antagonist - a demonic eye, capable of mass destruction. By gathering the red tickets and awakening the Watcher's altar, you enter its domain and steal from it. I felt that, with the portal opened, the mod could have culminated in a grand finale in which you defeat the Watcher and bring the people of the islands whatever salvation they may have been waiting for... But none of that happens, and you're sent back in time with no repercussions (though I do appreciate that Hat Kid is shown to be a bit hesitant, as if going back in time and undoing the things she did was wrong on some level). I would have liked to see those loose ends tied up somehow.


I enjoyed this mod a great deal, and it provided me the best experience I've ever gotten from a mod for this game. You've seriously blown me away here. Very well done. 8.5/10