Recent reviews by ✩ Robyn

This tacklebox is a promising demo for a kickstarter game I’ve been super excited for.

Not only did they treat us to a demo with hours of content packed in, they made it free for anyone to try. This was originally a bonus promised to backers, but as a backer myself, I can confidently say that this was the better decision. I’d rather more people get to experience this little teaser first hand.

The Big Catch Tacklebox does a great job showcasing the game’s core mechanic: movement based platforming. There are so many different techniques you can use to get around, and the more you play, the more you get a handle on how the physics and controls work. It feels very rewarding to complete the more tricky platforming puzzles, giving you that tasty reward of some coins or a fish for figuring out how to get there. I played this game alongside a few friends, and it was fun being in the same area and seeing how they got the exact same coins in a completely different way.

The art style of the game is also totally fun and refreshing. I adore the character designs, simple, unique, and very endearing. The world and style of everything feels like that nostalgic ps2 platformer game you played when you were a kid. There’s hints of things like Zelda, Sly Cooper, Kirby, Banjo Kazooie, and a ton more when it comes to both the music and collectathon aspects of the game. Everything from the UI design to the animation has had thought and care put into it. I can’t say I noticed many visual bugs or oddities that took me out of the immersion.

While this review is definitely positive, I will say there's a few instances where the game got frustrating. The platforming is challenging, and generally the checkpoints reduce the repetitiveness, but some of the level design was a bit rough. Most of the areas did a great job being consistent in challenge level, but there were some jumps or wall-runs that just felt obnoxiously more difficult than the rest. It was instances where you knew where to go, but the platforming had to be pixel perfect to complete. (Yes I’m talking about the start of the Bone Rails area) That being said I think this is less a problem with the movement mechanics, and more so with some level designs that could benefit from little tweaks. Overall a pretty easy fix, and a minor gripe.

I’m super grateful Filet Group gave us this teaser, I had a lot of fun collecting everything; and the bonus you get for it was worth it. I highly suggest anyone give this demo a shot, after all it’s free! I can’t wait to see the full game, I’ll be supporting this game in any way I can.

I abolutely adore this game and everything about it. I hardly ever play platformers, and this was the first one I made it 100% of the way through; it's that good. I'm more of a first-person shooter or 3D adventure game type of person, so this genre was a little different than what I was really used to. I wouldn't have picked it up if my friend Pumpkin Head hadn't told me to, and I'm really glad he recommended it to me. Hollow Knight has easily become one of my favorite games of all time.

As an artist, I seriously appreciate the absoutley stunning style, effort, and craftsmanship of the backgrounds, animation, and character design. The art style is magnificent and inspiring, and has influenced my own art in a way. I have always loved the theme of darkness, pale face dark eyes, and mystery. This game includes all of the aesthetics I love into a wonderful looking platformer. The main character, the Knight, has such a simple yet cool design, and I get pretty picky with my characters in videogames. I typically will dismiss a game or show very quicky if I don't attach to or like any characters, but in Hollow Knight, I've fallen in love with the designs.

The mechanics in the game are so solid and feel so genuine. A mix of sound, animation, and mechanics really make it feel like you have absolute control of your character. Everytime you'd get a solid hit, you'd feel it, and every time you'd get hit, you'd feel that too. Every win or loss was by your hand, and it never felt like the game had cheated you or it was was anyone elses doing besides your own. The variety of ways you can play not only make the game feel more dynamic, but it also means that it caters to the different playstyles of the person with the controller. You have a choice to use certain charms, abilities, magic, and the nail itself. The variety of which you can play just makes it feel like the game never really ends.

Music is so important in videogames, and the Christopher Larkin has done a phenomenal job creating the soundtrack for Hollow Knight. The action and emotion behind his work fits flawlessly with the style of the game and the overall story. I listen to the soundtrack all the time, it inspires me and reminds me of all of the adventures I had in-game. The variety of styles in music correlate perfectly with the play areas in-game, and the mechanic of changing a few instruments in the song based on location was executed perfectly. It really feels like the music follows you throughout the Hallownest.

TDLR, I absolutely love the art style, the mechanics are solid and have variety, and the music brings the game together with the story flawlessly.

100/10 I definitely recommend anyone pick up this game and give it a try. It's not an easy game, and it doesn't hold your hand and tell you where to go. It's an adventure, but it's your adventure! The story is phenomenal, and it's worth more than the store price, at least to me. Beautiful game, best one I've played in a while.

This game has an amazing soundtrack and a truely beautiful story. The simple layout and the animation make this game a favorite to anyone who's up for an adventure! Highly recommended.