An evil being has taken over the land of dreams, and a good spirit uses the last of its energy to create the hero Pankapu.  As Pankapu, you’ll run, jump, and fight your way through beautifully hand-drawn stages in this downloadable 2-D platformer on PS4 and PC (reviewed on PS4 here).

Pankapu can run and jump, as well as use a sword in his fighter mode to slash enemies.  Later on in the game you’ll be able to transform into an archer for dispatching long distance baddies, as well as a mage, good for blasts of magic.  Each form has many skills to master.  For instance, as the fighter, you’ll learn abilities like a downward thrust and throwing your sword like a boomerang.

Some skills deplete a special meter, so you’ll have to watch out for that.  You can also block, which refills that meter, so you’ll want to have a good mix of attacking and blocking in the game.  You can even attach elemental properties to your weapons once you collect certain nebula, which gives you even more attack moves.  Speaking of collecting, there are lots of goodies to nab in the stages, and sometimes you might even have to backtrack to find a special item.

The hand-drawn animations are very fluid and the backgrounds look like lavish paintings.  But for some reason, the game just didn’t draw me in like these kinds of titles usually do.  Play control is a little floaty and the platforming can be a bit repetitive and dull at times.  Plus the game is quite challenging.  But if you enjoy all things 2-D, you may want to give this one a try anyway.

Kid Factor:

Pankapu is rated E for Everyone with an ESRB descriptor of Mild Fantasy Violence.  You can slash enemies with weapons, but most of them are just black blobs that melt away when defeated.  Reading skill is a must for the text, and younger players may get frustrated at the high difficulty.

Tags: Game Reviews