What is this game about? Well I can�t answer this question for sure, but I know that it must be something cool. This is one of the many indie games that deserve a badge �Well done good Sir!�. This game has so much features, for example you can take photos of hints you found and just access them from your PDA later. basically, the game is a Jump and Run about traveling through space, and hell, it feels great. You control the game completly with your keyboard, the graphics are nice and clear, the menues are genuis, the hacking minigames are great and different everytime and I really dont know what else to say, this game just should be played.

Before I begin, do be assured that there are no spoilers here, apart from a brief recap of the introduction slideshow.

Saira is a pretty cool platformer that has you playing as, well, Saira. The game ships with one pre-made episode, where Saira's day just can't get any worse - apparently everyone, including her sister, has disappeared mysteriously, and her only friend has been teleported to some distant part of the galaxy.

That's where Saira's adventures in fantastic worlds begin. This is a non-violent platformer, where you avoid enemies and solve intermittent puzzles along your journeys. You will be doing a lot of free-running, wall-hopping, ledge-climbing and wall-running.

As with other games by Nifflas, the environments are gorgeous. No planet has the same backdrop, and despite the game being in 2D, it has a very nice 3D feel thanks to multi-layered backgrounds. The atmosphere of the game is further kicked in by the sounds of wildlife and nature. You can feel the gush of winds sweeping you in some places; and in others, the feeling of isolation carried by the beautiful soundtrack really makes you feel alone.

And the world really feels lived in. Enemies and harmless wildlife are rendered in good ol' 2D, but they usually go about doing their own thing, until you approach them. Some will follow you meekly, and others will try to kill you. Add in trees that sway gently in the breeze, and stunningly beautiful entities such as a clock tower or falling leaves, and your senses will be in for a treat.

But Saira is not without its faults. For all its merits, it's controls are very slippery, which is a shame since this is crucial to the fun factor of any platformer. Even though you can respawn at the nearest checkpoint when you die, without losing any progress, it breaks the flow of the game due to poor timing in a split second.

Also, the levels are broken up into segments/'rooms'. This segmentation can be really ridiculously placed, especially during times where you have to wall-hop up a vertical chasm, and the segment transits from one to the other, making it difficult to wall hop properly when the next chasm loads.

For all it's flaws, Saira is brilliant. It's very relaxing, and can take your breath away at times.

Saira is one of those games. Set in a free-roaming galaxy, Saira is an episodic game where you control the title character through various platforming and puzzle challenges. Many of the puzzles are simple if you manage to explore the various worlds thoroughly, as they are printed on walls or hills or the like. Saira then can use her camera to snap a screenshot of the area, and refer back to it later when opening a force field lock or some other puzzley thing.
The game�s look is interesting � it�s very retro while still feeling crisp and new. The movement of the Saira character is smooth and slick, but her character design recalls Flash platformers of old. The environments, despite being 2d, feel like they have a 3d aspect to them � the sun will shine in your eyes as you pass it on one planet, for example. So, in summary, the images are nice, but this is still an indie game and not a big-publisher title, and that can be determined right away.

but it still a great and enjoyable game

8/10

Saira is a wonderful game. It's genuinely beautiful, the level design is spot-on, the platforming mechanics are excellent and the puzzles are often interesting but rarely frustrating. It's challenging enough to be satisfying, but it never feels like the designer is out to get you; there's little frustration, and almost no tedium.

Great puzzle/platforming game! Some tricky puzzles to be found and lots of jumps to make, very well made and simple game, can't wait for the next one!

Saira is a mix of platforming and adventure gaming that throws in a bunch of fun but challenging minigames as part of the puzzles. The music is moody and atmospheric, not to mention unique, and it drives home not just the character of whatever planet you're on, but how alone you truly are.

Saira's planets are unique and well-made, the environments are beautiful, and the puzzles - for the most part - are logical and well laid out. The camera tool allows you to take pictures of anything and saves on backtracking by allowing you to snap a picture of the password you just unlocked, so you don't have to memorize it. Or you can just take scenic pictures of the landscape if you want.

This game isn't all about puzzles though, some areas will require speed and agility to get through to the next area. It can take a few tries to get where you're going sometimes, but all obstacles are surmountable if you're persistent.

The minigames range from easy to friggin' hard, but even the hardest of minigames can be solved with patience and thought, not to mention a little trial and error.

It's impossible to find yourself stuck in a no-win situation in this game, whether in a minigame or adventuring on a planet's surface. Sometimes a quick teleport can erase your last platforming misstep, saving yourself from having to climb all the way back to the top of the jump just to try again. If you fall into a bottomless pit, you'll just teleport back to your last checkpoint.

This is a very streamlined game that only occasionally frustrates, and seldom for very long. It is very easy to lose track of time solving just one more puzzle or minigame, exploring a new planet, dodging monsters, or just taking in the planet's ambiance. If you like the feeling of speed, have a love of puzzles, or simply relish the idea of exploring new worlds, you can't go wrong with this title.