It may not be the most popular genre today, but if platformers have stood the test of time it’s because they’ve always captured the spirit of gaming in its purest form. It doesn’t matter how deep or simple a story is, how detailed or gritty a scene is, or even if there is more than one point on the screen. Platform games are journeys that players must undertake to reach a goal and Holy Cap’s Promenade requires us to take a walk to complete this journey which is both fun and challenging.
The thing is, I had the chance to preview this game during the last Gamescom, and it has become one of my favorite games of all time. Now that I’ve had more time to delve into it, I’ve noticed that my first impression was really spot on, but I also feel like it could have been refined to make it a must-have
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Promenade (which means “to walk” in French) is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that takes us on a fantastic journey with the young protagonist Nemo and his companion, a small pink octopus, as they find a way to ride the large elevator to the high into a world of little creatures, bright colors and memories. We can immediately conclude that what we are experiencing is a journey into a child’s imagination, with some dark nuances, but apart from a few specific scenes, the entire “ride” takes place among clouds, pillows, toys and colors. Among colourful, beautiful and friendly landscapes.
It’s an odd comparison to make to the 3D exponents of the genre, but there’s a lot of Super Mario 64 in Promenade. To ride the Great Elevator, you must collect shards to repair the platforms you use to ascend level after level. This area of the elevator also serves as a hub between different layers or parts of Nemo’s memories, with fragments scattered there. Getting shards usually depends on collecting them by jumping and dodging enemies and falling through gaps to cross an area, but other methods involve stitching shards together through clever perspective puzzles, memory puzzles, or timed challenges. I was talking about Super Mario 64 earlier, because in addition to the design of some of these tests, each test has its own name to keep track of the count in Nemo’s album, similar to what you would have in Peach’s Castle.
When you collect the stars
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Promenade is also a fairly peaceful game, as our characters cannot die at any time. It can be weakened (we have a hit counter that decreases if we get hit by an on-screen enemy), but checkpoints are common so you won’t be interrupted from the overall flow of the game, at least until you get to the boss fight. That was the case before. The levels were a real test of skill and we had to put everything we had learned to the test, including double jumping, dodging and rolling, and the timely use of our octopus friends. It is seen that these points are entrances to higher difficulty levels, but at the same time, each of these battles unlocks a new ability for the octopus, such as a hook to cling to, which opens up shortcuts or new sections, where you can find more fragments .
So far I have no objections, as it’s clear that Promenade is intended to be a light-hearted adventure that can be enjoyed by all audiences, but perhaps there are some underlying issues in achieving that goal that overshadow a rich and colorful experience. The progression and complexity of experimentation and jumping quickly began to increase, and while the double jump system for interacting with objects introduced in the tutorial (you must first grab the octopus, which is crucial for movement and interaction with the environment) was generally smooth, I found that I noticed more than once that the response time between button presses and in-game actions wasn’t as precise as I would have liked. It has no limitations, it doesn’t interrupt the progression at any point, but in my opinion Promenade could have had a more comfortable pace without having to repeat so many parts due to inaccuracies. Luckily, save point loading is almost instantaneous even on the Nintendo Switch version we used for the review, so it’s not too bad.
Likewise, I understand that the decision to take into account contextual language and environmental puzzles was made to support the narrative of Nemo’s story, but it’s easy to find yourself lost in some situations, especially since there’s no general map to access and you have to go back to the front section, open a new path with a new tool. There are Metroidvania elements, yes, but it’s not entirely necessary to get to the end credits as there are many more pieces than necessary, and this replayability is suitable for those looking for a complete challenge.
But don’t let these minor highlights mislead you. Promenade is a fantastic game and I still find it as solid and engaging as when I first saw it. If you’re interested in a platformer that’s different and offers extra puzzles, this is one you won’t want to miss when it launches on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch on February 23, 2024. One of the indie games.
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#Walk #Review #Gamereactor
