Ruffy and the Riverside is a 3D platformer for the Nintendo Swap. In the event you like your retro gaming set squarely within the polygonal instances of the late ‘90s, then this throwback will likely be proper up your alley.
The sport follows the adventures of Ruffy, a bear on a quest to save lots of his homeland from a darkish entity often known as Groll. Alongside the way in which, he meets many diverse characters, all of whom are brimming with character. There’s plenty of dialogue to get by initially, however the arrange is promising as Ruffy begins his journey by numerous lands to chase Groll down, and save the world.
Graphically, Ruffy and the Riverside sports activities a retro 3D look paying homage to the Nintendo 64 period. It is a comparatively uncommon type for brand new video games, so followers could have an absolute discipline day. It efficiently thrusts the participant again into the glory days of the ‘90s visually, whereas offering a number of new methods to maintain it feeling contemporary.
Regardless of the blocky, 3D look of the sport, Ruffy himself is 2D. It’s a bit like Paper Mario discovered himself in Mario 64’s world. It really works properly sufficient, with cute designs. There’s a deliberate throwback to the video games of yesteryear that you simply’ll both love or hate. I discovered Ruffy’s fixed arising and down throughout character interactions a bit distracting, personally, however it’s all in good enjoyable, and the builders have performed an incredible job recreating that old-school vibe.
As with every platformer value its weight in salt, Ruffy wants a gimmick to set gameplay aside from each different hero. And Ruffy delivers, sporting a particular energy that enables him to repeat the feel of surrounding objects and use it to alter different areas. It’s a copy-and-paste mechanic, actually. For instance, a waterfall will be remodeled into lengthy, inexperienced vines, making the cliffside accessible. Steel might change into wooden. You get the thought. It’s a inventive solution to play that opens the trail for loads of puzzles and collectibles.
The characters are fascinating in a scruffy type of manner, although the enemies are a bit on the underwhelming aspect of their design. There’s a slight efficiency situation, too, with some framerate drops and common sluggishness in sure sections of the sport. That is current when taking part in on the Swap 2, additionally. It’s not a deal-breaker, however it’s not optimized in addition to it might be.
General, Ruffy and the Riverside is a retro-inspired 3D romp stuffed with shade and creativity. Its enchantment is principally in its retro type, although the texture-swapping means is a novel idea that provides an fascinating aptitude. It’s not going to enchantment to everybody, however the respectable story and satisfying gameplay make up for the slight efficiency points.
