Ruffy and the Riverside | PC Demo Preview
It’s been less than two months since I finished Astro Bot, and I’m already looking to scratch that platforming itch. Thankfully, it looks like I won’t have to wait too incredibly long for my next fix. Ruffy and the Riverside from developer Zockrates Laboratories may not reach the level of fidelity that Team Asobi did in terms of graphics and tight controls. But I’m still very much looking forward to this title after working my way through the demo. Even though my time with the game was short, it oozes with charm and introduces a world just begging to be explored. You owe it to yourself to try out the demo as soon as possible!
A World Ripe for Exploring
Here’s a brief synopsis of the game’s story:
Join Ruffy on an exciting quest to stop the mischievous villain Groll from destroying the World Core and throwing Riverside into chaos. Along the way, you’ll travel to fantastic places with helpful friends like Pip the sassy bee, Sir Eddler the adventurous mole, and Silja the wise turtle. Meet a lively cast of characters, each with their own unique stories and dialogues, as the exciting adventure unfolds with unexpected surprises for Ruffy around every corner.
My goal was to collect stars in each level in order to open doors that lead to more stages. If you’ve ever played Super Mario 64, you’re probably familiar with the formula. That’s not, however, what makes this game stand out. First off, Zockrates has managed to pull off something very difficult in the video game industry: a novel art style. While the world is in total 3D, the hand-drawn characters and environmental objects are flat and in two dimensions. Think Paper Mario, but entirely a platforming game with no turn-based combat. It makes for an inviting world to visit.
The Ol’ Switcheroo
And that’s just the beginning. Ruffy and the Riverside is far from your standard platformer. Sure, you’ll be searching for stars to progress, but getting there takes a little bit more brain power. Ruffy has an ability to copy elements from the environment and paste them to new places. Come across a tree? Copy it and turn metal boxes into wooden crates that can be destroyed to open new paths. What if you come across a lake that’s too large to swim? That’s ok. Just copy a nearby snowman to turn the lake into ice and walk across. These are just two simple examples. The game is wide open with possibilities, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
I also came across some simple, yet satisfying puzzles. What’s refreshing is that each one felt wholly unique from the last. Some gave me a pattern to recreate elsewhere on a map, others had me jump into a 2D plane to figure out a way to pass an enemy to reach a new star. I even experienced one section in a town where a group of customers wanted to purchase art. I had to speak with them to learn the kind of art they wanted, copy the art from the environment, and paste it to their blank canvas. It’s nothing that broke my brain in any way, but it brought a sense of satisfaction each time I came across a new way to achieve my goal.
Ruffy and the Riverside Demo Final Verdict
I obviously haven’t played the full game to be able to give my “final verdict”, but from the brief time I had with this title, I can easily recommend it. I know I’ll be playing it when it releases later this quarter. Do yourself a favor and check out the demo on Steam, which released on February 11th. Once you get get a taste for what this game has to offer, I believe that you’ll be equally intrigued to give the final product a spin when it comes to PC and consoles. I know it’s on my wishlist.
This preview is based on an advance demo copy of Ruffy and the Riverside provided by Pirate PR for coverage purposes. The game will also be available on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch at a later date.
