In short, this is one of the best 3D platformers to release in the past decade, founded by it's unique and innovative movement system and perfectly crafted level design, unfortunately plagued by game-breaking bugs. I've loved every minute of my time spent with this game so far, but through the crashes, clipping and collision issues, and overall lack of polish, this is a tough game to recommend.
I think it's important to begin with the positives of this game, plenty of which make this game sound like the best $30 anyone could spend right now. Like I mentioned previously, the controls and movement of this game make it stand out from any other platformer of recent memory; it embraces quick movement and jumping through the various techniques that can be performed right from the very start of the game. Moving and speed-running your way through levels and racking up a high score is the bread and butter of this title, it's simply loads of fun. Not to mention the level design; each stage is bursting with creativity, something I haven't seen in a 3D platformer since Super Mario 3D World. Lastly, the graphical design and music contribute to the overall aesthetic of this title, painting itself to be something of a late Sega Genesis or Saturn era game; it's simply beautiful in every aspect.
Unfortunately, this game is also the product of perhaps a rushed launch, lacking polish overall with bugs and crashes to supplement this theory. In my time with the game, I experienced plenty of moments where I would randomly clip through the world, causing many unlucky deaths. Not to mention the times where Yo-Yo, the protagonist's sidekick and means of movement, would randomly clip to objects and get stuck on them, leading me to have to restart levels often. Also, this game seems to crash on me every time a cutscene appears in-game or when a tutorial pop-up would appear on screen. This would happen every time I tried to view a cutscene or a tutorial pop-up, without fail, and unfortunately is what led me to making this review. Oddly enough, however, this would not happen when played on my Steam Deck, indicating that it seems to run perfectly on SteamOS? So if you do own a Steam Deck or some other handheld PC capable of operating on SteamOS, maybe that's the way to go if you're interested in this game.
At the time of writing this review, the game has only been released for a total of 4 days, and I'm sure plenty of these bugs and issues will be patched shortly. However, I feel it's important to spread awareness of these issues, as they lead to a much less enjoyable experience and could make-or-break someone's decision to purchase future titles from this developer. While I've greatly enjoyed my time spent with this game so far, I can't help but feel hesitant when recommending this. While it is only $30, a small price to pay for such a charming and delightful title, the bugs and issues I've experienced hold this back from what could have been an astonishing overall product.
I think it's important to begin with the positives of this game, plenty of which make this game sound like the best $30 anyone could spend right now. Like I mentioned previously, the controls and movement of this game make it stand out from any other platformer of recent memory; it embraces quick movement and jumping through the various techniques that can be performed right from the very start of the game. Moving and speed-running your way through levels and racking up a high score is the bread and butter of this title, it's simply loads of fun. Not to mention the level design; each stage is bursting with creativity, something I haven't seen in a 3D platformer since Super Mario 3D World. Lastly, the graphical design and music contribute to the overall aesthetic of this title, painting itself to be something of a late Sega Genesis or Saturn era game; it's simply beautiful in every aspect.
Unfortunately, this game is also the product of perhaps a rushed launch, lacking polish overall with bugs and crashes to supplement this theory. In my time with the game, I experienced plenty of moments where I would randomly clip through the world, causing many unlucky deaths. Not to mention the times where Yo-Yo, the protagonist's sidekick and means of movement, would randomly clip to objects and get stuck on them, leading me to have to restart levels often. Also, this game seems to crash on me every time a cutscene appears in-game or when a tutorial pop-up would appear on screen. This would happen every time I tried to view a cutscene or a tutorial pop-up, without fail, and unfortunately is what led me to making this review. Oddly enough, however, this would not happen when played on my Steam Deck, indicating that it seems to run perfectly on SteamOS? So if you do own a Steam Deck or some other handheld PC capable of operating on SteamOS, maybe that's the way to go if you're interested in this game.
At the time of writing this review, the game has only been released for a total of 4 days, and I'm sure plenty of these bugs and issues will be patched shortly. However, I feel it's important to spread awareness of these issues, as they lead to a much less enjoyable experience and could make-or-break someone's decision to purchase future titles from this developer. While I've greatly enjoyed my time spent with this game so far, I can't help but feel hesitant when recommending this. While it is only $30, a small price to pay for such a charming and delightful title, the bugs and issues I've experienced hold this back from what could have been an astonishing overall product.