Something is amiss in the world of Valdi. The seasons are in disarray, meaning that fierce winter winds bellow in place of gentle summer breezes. It’s up to a girl named Ary to restore balance at the behest of a mysterious society, the Guardians of Seasons.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons is an action adventure in the tradition of the Zelda franchise. The player is set loose in an open world brimming with side quests, dungeon-like Ruins, and lots of hidden secrets. Thankfully, Ary can manipulate the beautifully detailed environments with Seasonal Spheres in order to progress and uncover those secrets.

Seasonal Spheres change the weather around Ary, creating a temporary seasonal dome that alters the immediate environment to its seasonal counterpart. This can open up new pathways, reveal secrets, and even freeze some enemies, turning them into ice blocks you can use to your advantage. Seasonal manipulation is an exciting and novel mechanic that’s implemented impressively throughout the game.

During her adventure, Ary will come face to face with whimsical beasts that wish to stop her in her tracks. Combat is simple, revolving around dodges and parries in what are pretty standard sword fights. This is really more of a puzzle and exploration-based game, but fights do work well where they are included. Sadly, at the time of review, the game is still a bit glitchy, with bugs, lag, and slight screen interference dampening the experience.

However, this is an otherwise solid and enjoyable action-adventure, with an excellent central mechanic. If you’re a fan of the genre, you could do a lot worse than picking up Ary and the Secret of Seasons. After all, ‘tis always the season for adventure.