Drawn to life puts you in the shoes of the god-like “Creator”. In the game, the locals (Raposas) have left you, their “god” and doing so has enveloped their village in darkness, forcing many of them to leave. Your role in the game is to create a hero from a mannequin and control him to defeat the darkness and bring back the lost Raposas. It might sound like a run-of-the-mill game, but there’s huge difference that sets it apart from other games in its genre. Read on to find out more.

DtL features pretty good 2d SNES, kinda old school style graphics. If you know me, then you’ll know that I love that style. The best part about the graphics is the “Drawn” in the title. You get to draw not only your main character, but also many, many items in game (usable or not). These items range from platforms to levers to small key items to a huge observatory. Yes, you actually draw them on the touch screen (more on this a little later). So, depending on your artistic skill, player-drawn graphics can range from really bad to really great (theoretically, you can make them as good as the predrawn graphics). One of the best things about the graphics is the On-screen-display: there hardly is one! Instead of having a health meter, your mannequin instead loses parts as he is injured. This really adds more to the idea that he’s just a “drawing” and not a real person.

The audio is also nice, but I found the enjoyable little voice clips to be few and far in between. The soundtrack is great, and I didn’t find myself getting annoyed at any one song.

The gameplay is split up into three different sections: the isometric, Zelda style (minus the action) in the town; the 2d platforming action; and the actual drawing part. The first entails you running around and doing various easy tasks; the second is similar to any other platforming game with the exception of different powers for each world. The third part is really the meat of the game, and truly its purpose. You’re presented with a small little area in which you draw any number of things. For most drawings, you are given a template with which to guide yourself. You are also given the staple tools to make your creation (a small and large brush, the paint bucket, an undo tool, some stamps (like funny glasses, etc.) and a few others). Once you’re done with the drawing, you are returned to either of the other two sections of the game to witness your creation.

All in all, DtL is like an artist’s version of a New Super Mario Bros. and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime love child. Although it is not a rehash of either of the above games, it does bring them to mind. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, even if it was a little short. The only real complaint I had was that you need some artistic talent to play through the game (which I do not have). If you’re looking for something a little different from the staple platformers, you’ll want to look into DtL.

Note: I would like to personally thank Team M80 for sending over this review copy. It is highly appreciated.