#Ruffy and the Riverside assessment

It’s been ages since I’ve dove deep right into a 3D platformer. I grew up with a number of over time, leaving me excited each time a brand new one launches. With Ruffy and the Riverside having a peculiar mixture of hand-drawn 2D characters and 3D environments, it intrigued me from the get-go.

I used to be additionally a little bit scared, admittedly. For each unimaginable platformer I’ve performed, I’ve tried simply as many who fell flat or aggravated me past perception, leaving me apprehensive about what was to come back right here. Fortuitously, whereas it wasn’t fairly an ideal expertise, Ruffy and the Riverside was a joyful blast to the previous that left me feeling glad, albeit bored at instances.

The spotlight of Ruffy and the Riverside is Ruffy’s swap capability, permitting you to change textures round to resolve puzzles and progress the story. One second, you could be turning a waterfall into vines you possibly can climb. A minute later, you could be reworking a whole ocean into lava. With sufficient creativity, you can also make this chaotic and hilarious. For probably the most half, although, it’s pretty tame.

The puzzles you encounter all through Ruffy and the Riverside are additionally pleasant, starting from simplistic and easy to advanced sufficient to stump even probably the most skilled puzzle solvers. You must assume (and swap) exterior of the field for a lot of of them. Generally, you’ll need to take this actually by traversing a 2D field that requires leaping again into the 3D panorama for extra swapping. It’s loads to soak up, however Zockrates Laboratories manages to drag it off properly.

Alongside the best way, you’ll encounter numerous facet quests and collectibles to cross the time, turning an in any other case quick expertise right into a full-on collectathon. Though you possibly can skip this fully if you want, those that thrive on touring each nook and cranny of a world to seek out all of its secrets and techniques will love this.

All of that is tied collectively by an cute, hand-drawn artwork type and an equally cutesy soundtrack that makes you’re feeling such as you’re again within the ’90s. Ruffy himself dances across the map all through your travels, including one other layer to this lighthearted, carefree story.

No less than, that’s the way it seems on the floor. In actuality, you’re rapidly launched to potential world-ending doom, with our titular character being the “Chosen One” to avoid wasting the day. Though this seems like an thrilling catalyst for an journey, it comes off extra as a generic plot gadget we’ve seen time and time once more.

I felt the urge to skip sure conversations, particularly when characters would reiterate the identical factors about Ruffy being the one one who’s able to stopping the present state of affairs. Some moments had been fairly humorous, however most felt bland. Combining this with forgettable enemies that you just’ll simply hit a couple of times earlier than transferring on makes the general storyline considerably lackluster, regardless of the gameplay being very entertaining.

Ruffy and the Riverside has the items in hand, with an interesting creative type and distinctive swapping mechanics paving the best way for an in-depth puzzle recreation collection. Though I didn’t discover its story or enemies significantly attention-grabbing, every little thing else concerning the title felt refreshing and enjoyable, leaving me feeling hopeful that potential sequels can construct upon this blueprint and create one thing actually charming.