Title:Â Cloudberry Kingdom
Platform:Â Mac / PC /PS3/ Vita/ Xbox 360(reviewed on Wii U)
Developer:Â Pwnee Studios
Publisher:Â Ubisoft
Release date: Wii U:Â August 1Â 2013
TL;DR:Â This is one crazy, 2d platformer. You won’t be disappointed!
Family Friendly?: Click here to skip the detail and see if this game is right for your family!
You’re probably thinking with a name like Cloudberry Kingdom the game will be full of teddy bears and unicorns right? Wrong, oh how wrong you are. It’s true that its cartoon style doesn’t look too dissimilar to Scribblenauts but man is it brutal. Ever seen Takeshi’s castle? Think of Cloudberry kingdom like a 2d platforming version of the show, add more spikes, gauntlets and replays and you’ve got it. Cloudberry Kingdom didn’t just beat me, it kick my arse and slapped me around a little too!
The game’s hazards can be changed and placed in essentially an infinite amount of ways, and with a number of different levels, anyone can really play this game. I mean, I like a challenge but after seven attempts at playing a level the gamepad was slipping out of my hand, and I was so flustered my eyeballs were sweating. Cloudberry kingdom is well and truly a game to test the strongest man and I think I failed on that part, but at least I had fun trying. That being said the character’s mechanics solely relies on his running and jumping skills which means that anyone can give this game a go. This game is difficult for the sake of being difficult, but it was still hilarious.
The narrative for Cloudberry Kingdom is not too dissimilar from any other Mario game. Hero gets beaten to pulp by boss, Princess gets captured and hero spends the rest of the game trying to rescue her. There are a few cut scenes throughout the game, but really if you are looking for a narrative, then this game isn’t for you. The lack of story is certainly made up for in wild gameplay. Through each level you will have to manoeuvre within a gauntlet of horrors, I particularly enjoyed the levels full of laser beams. It’s hard to describe a level of Cloudberry Kingdom because each level is just one fat, hot mess, and that is just so exhilarating to play.
“The game always progressed at a speed that was satisfying to my needs and when I finally succeeded on “That level†I felt like the most skilled person in the room.â€
I think that Pwnee Studios have done a great job at differentiating levels to fit player’s specific needs. The game always progressed at a speed that was satisfying to my needs and when I finally succeeded on “That level†I felt like the most skilled person in the room.
“Because of the clear pattern to each level I felt as if the game was becoming too predictable and that most of the time my winning streak was down to pure luck.â€
Unfortunately after a few levels the game started to become inevitably predictable. Each level was different of course, but I worked out if I waited 3 seconds in some places and only 1 in others I could allow myself to leave the level relatively unscathed.
Because of the clear pattern to each level I felt as if the game was becoming too predictable, and that most of the time my winning streak was down to pure luck. Unfortunately for me this did not seem to deter me, I say unfortunately because I have a sore loser personality. I can’t leave a level until I have beaten it and my just one more go mentality leaves me wanting more every, single time.
I, myself, like the art style but I’ve heard mixed reviews, for me it feels like a similar art style to Scribblenauts and I just love that game. Its cartoonish style made it fun, quirky and sometimes a little twisted depending on your challenge.
The game has a great arcade mode that will allow you to become even more addicted to the game. The arcade section hosts timer based games, combo counters and an array of tasks to alter the experience in a vast amount of ways. The free play mode allows you to create your own levels, resulting in tortuous levels that you’d only force your best friends to play. The online services are disappointing for the PS3 and Wii U, but for me personally it’s not a problem as I would prefer not to share my defeat with other people.
As well as the arcade section to the game there is also a range of playable characters to give you variation where you feel the game is not. There’s a double-jump hero, a hero in a box who can only move by jumping, a hero on a pogo stick who can’t stop jumping, a hero who inverts gravity instead of jumping, and even a “time master†hero whose movements control the motion of environmental objects. This variation inescapably changes the gameplay and adds a different dimension every time you play. If you are thinking of playing Cloudberry Kingdom make sure you are ready to take on this gauntlet, because I know all too well what can happen to those who aren’t.
Good times!
- Quirky art style
- A range of playable characters
- Great arcade mode
Bad times :(
- Sometimes a little predictable
- Addictive, but really this game is challenging for the sake of being challenging
Family Focus
Cloudberry Kingdom is a PEGI 7. Although this game is a PEGI 7, it is extremely challenging and you should take this into account if buying for children.
