Simply grand. A puppet show themed 2D platformer with an incredible attention to detail in its production values. It's constantly playing with the levels and characters as "hysical" beings. The stage is ever-adorned with curtains, there's a "live audience" that chimes in with reactions to events, a charming narrator who speaks directly to the audience as if the show were pure fiction.
The game's constantly playing with the physicality of its elements, leaning into the idea that this IS a puppet show. Stage elements drop from the top of the screen and SLAM to the ground with a little bounce and jiggle as they settle onto the stage. It's not a "realistic" puppet show—screens don't transition like this in real life!—but this fantastical version is grounded by this attention to the physical properties of every bit of level design, every enemy, every character. And the game's presentation keeps playing with this. During vehicle segments the "vehicles" have a visible stick underneath them, as if they're being puppetted from beneath the stage. It's the kind of attention to detail you could only get when a major platform owner pours resources into a game with a dedicated single-player appeal. You know, back when that existed in full?
The writing is whimsical and light. It's all presented like a fantastical children's story, but with a little bit of edge not dissimilar to, say, a Dreamworks picture (although not nearly as winking or as smarmy). There's just enough of that comedic edge there to be charming but not annoying.
As for play, it's just fun. it's a good laid back platformer. It never challenges too much, but it's got a good feel to its platforming and some unique systems that dig into the puppet show conceit. There's the health system, where your puppet can carry up to three different "heads" with each head being one hit point on your health bar, so to speak. The heads vary from robot heads, to octopi, to train cars, to dragons. Each one also has a unique use—you'll spot areas in each level where a specific head is called for. Having the right head can bring about a variety of effects ranging from a few extra gems, to unlocking a bonus stage, all the way to making a boss fight easier just because you had the right head on your shoulders. Then there's the scissors, prominently featured on the box art, that you'll use to snip across the game's fabric world. From climbing a castle's walls by cutting along its seams to chopping up bosses in extravagant finishers.
It's a real shame this game is stuck on PS3 and fetches exorbitant prices in the used market. But if you have a way to play it, I highly recommend checking it out. It's a highly polished, super cute, charming game that any fan of platformers should play.
The game's constantly playing with the physicality of its elements, leaning into the idea that this IS a puppet show. Stage elements drop from the top of the screen and SLAM to the ground with a little bounce and jiggle as they settle onto the stage. It's not a "realistic" puppet show—screens don't transition like this in real life!—but this fantastical version is grounded by this attention to the physical properties of every bit of level design, every enemy, every character. And the game's presentation keeps playing with this. During vehicle segments the "vehicles" have a visible stick underneath them, as if they're being puppetted from beneath the stage. It's the kind of attention to detail you could only get when a major platform owner pours resources into a game with a dedicated single-player appeal. You know, back when that existed in full?
The writing is whimsical and light. It's all presented like a fantastical children's story, but with a little bit of edge not dissimilar to, say, a Dreamworks picture (although not nearly as winking or as smarmy). There's just enough of that comedic edge there to be charming but not annoying.
As for play, it's just fun. it's a good laid back platformer. It never challenges too much, but it's got a good feel to its platforming and some unique systems that dig into the puppet show conceit. There's the health system, where your puppet can carry up to three different "heads" with each head being one hit point on your health bar, so to speak. The heads vary from robot heads, to octopi, to train cars, to dragons. Each one also has a unique use—you'll spot areas in each level where a specific head is called for. Having the right head can bring about a variety of effects ranging from a few extra gems, to unlocking a bonus stage, all the way to making a boss fight easier just because you had the right head on your shoulders. Then there's the scissors, prominently featured on the box art, that you'll use to snip across the game's fabric world. From climbing a castle's walls by cutting along its seams to chopping up bosses in extravagant finishers.
It's a real shame this game is stuck on PS3 and fetches exorbitant prices in the used market. But if you have a way to play it, I highly recommend checking it out. It's a highly polished, super cute, charming game that any fan of platformers should play.