Mithra: Episode 1, Chapter 1 is short, but sweet.

But way, way too short. The introduction to this action-adventure series lasts just under an hour, if you’re a clever player. But, the handful of puzzles are fun, thoughtful, and even innovative in a couple of cases.

Players guide Tag, an anthropomorphic alien, on his quest to escape a spaceship where he is being held prisoner and learn of the impending doom his tiny newfound friend Vee warns of. The plot is whisked along by actual voice acting and cut scenes, and the dialog is witty, creative and helpful. Tag’s voicing is just a little flat, but Vee’s flutish tones are charming, and fit right with his cartoonish demeanor. The sound design is just generally good; one particularly great sound effect is the gutturally brutal sound of the guard robot’s laser blasts. It’ll make you jump every time. The game’s atmosphere does an excellent job of conveying a sense of danger and foreboding

The graphics are also impressive, even if this first chapter’s setting is a bit dull (brown metal walls is about all you’ll see here). Of particular note are the lighting effects. An early puzzle has you controlling Vee in a dark ventilation shaft, which is softly lit by his illuminated body. The character models are inspired by some impressive, whimsical artwork that is sampled on the title screens and as collectable bonuses scattered throughout the game world. The jumping animation is oddly sloppy, leaving both characters rigid in the air and floating unnaturally back down to the ground. It even hampers gameplay a little, although the game never presented any major platforming challenges. But, it could offer some great action with a little improvement.

The shortness remains the biggest offense. Games divided into episodes makes sense on some level, but dicing those episodes into even smaller chapters is going to make the story telling awfully choppy, and that’s going to make players lose interest in Mithra. It’s going to be especially irritating if developer Afiction charges for the individual chapters (this first download is 240 points, which comes out to about three bucks; it was reduced from 400 points).

But bite-sized gameplay could have its merits, too. The game could be described as a casual adventure game that doesn’t look down on its audience. The puzzles gently encourage players to think outside the box. The game isn’t too head-scratchingly hard, nor does it hold the player’s hand, instead finding a happy medium that should really appeal to the casual crowd, although the hardcore should revel in this contribution to the rebirth of the adventure genre.

Even though it feels like a tutorial level, Mithra looks like it’s worth getting invested in. Here’s hoping those updates get here soon.