The Big Journey Review (NSW)

Written by Patrick Orquia

Title: The Big Journey
Developer: Konstructors Entertainment
Publisher: Nestor Yavorskyy
Genre: Platformer, Adventure
Number of Players: 1
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: 31 Oct 2019
Price: $4.99

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It seems a long time has already passed since I enjoyed playing a cute little game called LocoRoco (and its sequel) on the PlayStation Portable aka PSP. It has simple game mechanics, wherein you only press the shoulder buttons to tilt the world left or right and make the ball-like protagonist jump and collect bugs and whatnot. And it has an even cuter, catchy soundtrack. Writing about it make me miss it now. I have to play that game again soon.

Flash forward to the present, we now have LocoRoco ported on the Switch! Wow… er… except that it is not LocoRoco, nor a sequel to it. The game is The Big Adventure, and it probably is the closest the Nintendo Switch will ever get close to having the Sony-exclusive in its ever-growing lineup of games.

But fret not! The Big Adventure comes with most of the game mechanics and overall charm of LocoRoco. I can even probably say that this game is a spiritual successor to LocoRoco, but I rather not, to be fair to the developers of the game. They probably didn't spend countless hours to make such an amazing game only for it to be compared to an old game, whether as a compliment or not. Game mechanics cannot be patented after all, as far as I know. So yeah, the game plays like LocoRoco, but it is not LocoRoco. So I will shut up now about it, and just review the game and give it the merit it deserves.

This game has amazing visuals and sounds from beginning to end. The characters are well designed and illustrated. The game is divided into 5 chapters, and each has five levels each. An extra set of 5 optional levels, referred in-game as belonging to Wonderland, is also in the game, bringing the total number of levels to 30. The environment is lush and vibrant, and vary from level to level. Each chapter has a distinct design/biome motif, such as forest, desert, cavern, etc., and the 5 levels therein follow it. And to wrap eveything together is the amazing soundtrack. Upon booting up the game, you get to hear a nice ukulele-based music that puts you on a happy, relaxed mood right away. The rest of the tunes are as catchy and relaxing, and at times like this, are what anyone would need.

In this game, you get to control Mr. Whiskers, a ball-like cat who is searching for Mr. Choo, who makes the world's best dumplings, or so Mr. Whiskers claim. One day, Mr. Choo disappears, and Mr. Whiskers becomes worried and off to a big adventures he goes in search for his friend.

To control Mr. Whiskers, tilt the world left or right to make him go to either direction. You do this by either pressing the left or right directional buttons or the analog stick, or utilize motion controls. The latter gives a more precise movement, but can be a bit disorienting, but it will depend on you which one you prefer. Anyway, to make him jump, you can press any of the face buttons (A/B/X/Y). Each level can be finished within 10 minutes, and a ranking is given to you depending on how you accomplish the prescribed goals. In each level, you get to collect dumplings and bugs and a few obstacles and enemies meet you along the way. Some enemies can be defeted by jumping towards them, while some cannot be defeated at all, and all you can do is avoid them. If an enemy touch you, a dumpling may get dropped, and if you let enough time before getting it back, it will disappear. Now, whether you collect all of the dumplings, some of them, or none at all, it doesn't really matter (same with collecting bugs) in finishing levels and progressing in the game, but again, levels are ranked, depending on the number of dumplings and bugs collected, and the amount of time it takes you to complete them. I personally went for 3 stars for most of the levels, but if you don't care about that, that's completely fine, though you will miss out some of the unlockables.

Aside from Mr. Whiskers, you also get to meet other cats in world, which you can then choose to play as in the next levels. You also get to meet non-playable animals, which provide nothing but fun dialogue bits to encourage you in your adventure. Some of these cats and other animals require that you complete certain levels or accomplish certain number of stars, which is again how levels are ranked. You don't get anything extra from collecting all these characters, but it is a goal that you can aim for if you are a completionist.

Overall, this game is so relaxing and enjoyable to play. It does throw a few curve balls on some of the latter levels, but in general, it is overflowing with cuteness and adorable charm. Yes, this game came out a few months ago and has been available on the Switch eShop since then, but I'm quite thankful to have played it now during quaratine lockdown due to the Covid 19 virus because it lessend my anxiety and fears and I think eveyone should also do the same. The game costs only $5, which is quite cheap, and it gives you about 3-5 hours of play time. Not bad at all. So go ahead, jump and roll and collect all of them tasty dumplings and sweet candies and have a jolly good time.

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REWATCH VALUE: High

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PROS

• Uber-cute and charming visuals
• Amazing soundtrack
• Excellent level design
• Simple game mechanics
• Lots of hidden areas to discover
• The difficulty of the game gradually goes up, but doesn't get too hard for anyone to get through
• Very good use of HD Rumble
• Ideal for handheld gaming
• Good price point

CONS

• Unlocking all animal characters doesn't unlock any additional levels or challenges

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RATING: 4.5/5 Great tasting dumplings

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