A delightfully chibi platformer.
Misc. A Tiny Story has been constantly pitched as a Chibi-Robo-like. It isn’t arduous to identify that inspiration. You play as a tiny robotic who goes round cleansing up trash and serving to the characters he meets. But when we’re going to place Misc up in opposition to Chibi-Robo, I discover myself compelled to say that if Chibi-Robo had been as constantly charming, enjoyable, and effectively designed as Misc, we’d most likely nonetheless be taking part in Chibi-Robo video games.
You play as Buddy, who units off on an journey along with his pal Bag Boy (one other little robotic) to analyze an explosion that despatched Golden Cogs flying throughout their world. Alongside the best way you’ll make associates, remedy issues, and do an entire lot of cleansing. The sport is damaged up into distinct ranges that fuse Chibi-Robo’s cleansing gameplay with that of a conventional 3D platformer/collectathon. Development is constructed on accumulating Golden Cogs to unlock a door that results in the subsequent stage. Inside every stage there are ten Golden Cogs to seek out and loads of trash to wash up. Whereas cleansing trash doesn’t straight get you Golden Cogs, the trash you acquire could be traded in for forex that could be required to buy quest gadgets. You even have a quest log to maintain monitor of the wants of the varied characters inhabiting every stage. When you don’t must do every thing earlier than you progress on to the subsequent degree, I discovered myself compelled to seek out and do every thing I might. I in the end wound up considerably unintentionally 100percenting the sport just because I used to be having time. I must also notice (because it’s considerably anticipated given the comparisons to Chibi-Robo) that Misc doesn’t have any type of time restrict mechanic, so that you’re free to leisurely discover every space.
Ranges are various, and all have some narrative hook or gameplay mechanic that makes them distinctive. For instance, one degree had a robust deal with gardening and required issues resembling discovering seeds to plant and slicing down weeds. At times a pair phases appeared a bit too massive for their very own good, however for probably the most half each was excellently constructed. Every stage additionally has a hidden platforming problem. These are separated from the primary stage and current the toughest gameplay challenges Misc has to supply. They do, nonetheless, additionally draw out one in all my few complaints, which is the dealing with of Buddy’s jumps. His leap itself is extraordinarily floaty making it arduous to get used to. However the actual situation is in telling the place you’re going to land. While you leap a easy round shadow is projected on the bottom beneath you, however as a result of Buddy emits a bit of sunshine, the shadow fades out as you method a floor. This makes lining up exact landings in a number of the later challenges extra awkward than possible supposed.
What shocked me most about Misc was the course it took its story. I’m not going to spoil something right here however what I anticipated to be simple and comfy, wound up being rather more impactful and at instances, darkish. The story is dealt with excellently however be warned it could get somewhat heavier than you’re anticipating. By the top I used to be deeply hooked up to the primary forged and couldn’t put it down for the previous few ranges.
Whereas I primarily performed through a Change 2, the Change model of Misc performs pretty effectively. Textures take a second to load now and again and the dynamic decision can take a dip from time to time, however it’s in the end a stable model of the sport. Whereas there is no such thing as a official Change 2 patch for Misc at this level, the sport advantages considerably from the inherent enhance in horsepower. The pop-in seen on Change 1 is fully cleared up and the sport now runs at an ideal 60 frames-per-second. Decision additionally maxes out the dynamic decision scale and winds up wanting fairly good each docked and handheld. It might be neat to see a proper Change 2 patch down the highway however the Change model avails itself fairly effectively of the Change 2’s energy.
I believed I knew what I used to be entering into with Misc when it was pitched to me as a Chibi-Robo-like. In actuality that deeply undersells what the sport has to supply. The deal with shifting that design to one thing that extra carefully resembles a Mario 64-style 3D platformer is a match made in heaven. The continuously altering degree selection and pure drive to 100% every space had me completely hooked. At times the platforming or degree design would sluggish issues down, however by no means sufficient to stop me from pushing by to see what was subsequent. Misc. A Tiny Story is a straightforward early choose for my private indie of the 12 months lineup.
