Little Bug | Xbox Review
I’m always impressed with a game that surprises me with new and exciting mechanics. I never expected a platformer without a jump button, however. That’s exactly what Reddeer Games‘ Little Bug turns out to be. As clever as this title is, the game gets incredibly tricky to the point of being more frustrating than fun. Thankfully, it’s a very short experience, but that’s rarely something you want to see in the pros column for any game.
Simple Controls, Complex Mechanics
I wasn’t joking when I said there’s not a jump button in Little Bug. In order to traverse each level, you pull the right trigger to activate a sort of “lasso” that propels your character towards a floating orb. Releasing the trigger detaches the lasso, and you’ll fall back to the ground until you lasso the orb again. You control the location of the orb with the right stick and can place it anywhere on the screen. This feels a bit like relearning how to play a platformer, which isn’t a bad thing.
It’s an interesting way to approach the genre, especially early on, but the difficulty ramps up quickly. This is somewhat relative, as the game is only a couple hours long (there’s literally an achievement to complete the game in under 45 minutes). The real frustration is the extended spaces between checkpoints. The beauty of games like Super Meat Boy or Celeste is that once you pass a tough obstacle, you don’t have to do it again to tackle the next. In Little Bug, you’ll find yourself repeating the same section multiple times for a chance at attempting another one. Sure, practice makes perfect, and you might eventually be able to play certain areas blindfolded. But I truly don’t want to, and being forced to do so makes the next challenge less fun.
Troubled Youth
There’s hints to a story here, but they’re vague at best. Little Bug is a young girl on her way home from school. There appears to be a tumultuous relationship between her and her mother. When she gets home, she’s scolded quite harshly for being late. She leaves again upset and enters a world of her own imagination, a neon-infused world filled with weird creatures and dangerous enemies. For reasons unknown, she works her way through this world.
Along the way, you’ll discover various collectibles in harder and harder to reach places. This serves as a way to add some extra padding to the game, enticing you to play through multiple times. I was very confused as to their purpose, however, both plot-wise and mechanics-wise. I was able to store them in a lunch box the girl carries, but once my lunch box was full, one item would disappear from my inventory. Did I lose that item? Was I supposed to deposit these items somewhere after finishing a stage? I truly don’t know, and it was never explained to me much in the game.
I found myself wishing for a bit more cohesion or purpose behind working my way through each level. It feels as if the developer came up with a really clever mechanic and attempted to build the rest of the game around that. Sadly, it didn’t quite work for me as well as they intended. I think there’s the workings of something great here, but the level design needs some polish and a slower ramp of difficulty to appeal to most gamers.
Little Bug Final Verdict
I wanted to love Little Bug. I really did. The contrasting colors against a dark background is pleasing to the eye, and I really like the idea behind basic movement here. My worry is that new players will be frustrated too early to either enjoy this game for long, or much less complete it. I’d be interested in seeing more with a bit of refinement. For now, however, it’s hard for me to recommend as anything more than a throwaway novelty. It’s clever, but not very inviting.
To hear me talk more about Little Bug, be sure to listen to Episode 374 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:06:00 time stamp.
This review is based on an Xbox One copy of Little Bug provided by Community Villa for coverage purposes. It is also available on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch,
Little Bug
$12.99
Pros
- Clever Approach to Platforming
- Contrasting Color Art Style Looks Great
Cons
- Overly Frustrating Far Too Early
- Minimalist Story
- Unforgiving Checkpoints
- Confusing Collectibles
