If you’re a fan of PS2 period action-platformers, you possibly can’t actually go improper with Akimbot. You play as a disgraced bounty hunter Exe and his quippy drone companion Shipset as they shoot and leap their means by obstacle-laden levels. The tone and gameplay takes apparent inspiration from Ratchet and Clank. One take a look at Exe’s operating animation is all it takes to get a way of the PS2 platforming type that makes up Akimbot‘s DNA. There’s nothing notably modern with the narrative or gameplay right here, however man does it provide a wholesome dose of old-school enjoyable. Regardless that I’ve legit gripes with a number of components, Akimbot received over my ‘retro’ gaming coronary heart with its intelligent stage design and easy allure.
The sport introduces its world with the 2 protagonists at the back of a cop automobile. It’s instantly made clear what sort of tone Akimbot displays: the snarky Saturday morning cartoon journey. Akimbot could share notable components with its apparent PS2 inspiration, however Shipset can’t be in comparison with Clank as he’s way more irritating of a personality. The opening cinematic soured my impression of those characters, and Shipset solely grated on me the extra I heard him. His entitled snarky angle is barely made extra annoying by the repetitive high-pitched tone of his voice. Fortunately, the lone bounty hunter, Exe, is far more tolerable all through the period of the sport.
“Exe and Shipset banter consistently all through the journey. Whether or not the humor sticks is as much as your humorousness”
Akimbot wears its tone and humor on its sleeve and isn’t ashamed about it within the slightest. The dynamic duo consistently bicker at one another as you’re platforming over lethal obstacles and capturing down enemies, and the regular stream of cutscenes are stuffed to the gills with jokes. Humor is basically subjective, so I’ll simply give my private expertise. I used to be 50/50 on the execution of this humorous tone. There’s so many jokes within the recreation that some are certain to land for gamers; whereas notably sensible ones come up within the third quarter of the sport. When you’re notably keen on referential humor and fourth-wall breaking, Akimbot will delight.
I shortly seen one thing weird after coming to phrases with the sport’s comical tone: persistent display screen tearing. Akimbot has no graphics settings to talk of, so I needed to put up with traces reducing throughout the display screen each time I vertically transfer the digicam. I reviewed this on PS5, however can affirm that this display screen tearing concern is current within the PC model as properly. It’s a persistently noticeable concern that plagues the in any other case fun-filled expertise, however at the least the framerate is fairly stable all through when the sport isn’t loading between areas.
As soon as the participant overcomes Akimbot’s two best boundaries to entry (humor and display screen tearing), the sport delivers a brisk motion journey platformer each bit as participating as basic Ratchet and Clank titles. Not like Ratchet and Clank or Jak and Daxter, Akimbot is a purely linear journey with no hub areas or backtracking. Don’t let the tutorial stage deceive you; Akimbot fires on all cylinders as soon as it will get going, delivering a brisk curler coaster brimming with intelligent gameplay selection.
“Motion and capturing really feel easy and easy, and the animations punch above their weight”
Facilitating that selection are the instruments at Exe’s disposal. You begin out merely wielding a melee knife, upgrading to computerized rifle, sniper, and rocket launcher as you progress by the sport. The one factor you possibly can improve are your particular weapons, of which there are 4. You equip and buy upgrades periodically by well-placed distributors in every stage. Akimbot’s weaponry is fairly customary fare for the style it inhabits, however I discovered the choice and controls to swimsuit the gameplay splendidly properly.
Swapping between every weapon is a breeze due to the nifty hotkey to every directional button on the controller. The enemies that populate Akimbot’s world are normally weak to a selected weapon in your toolkit; the sport spreads enemy sorts by the maps brilliantly, forcing you to swap between weapons so nobody software turns into too overused and uninteresting. You’ll wish to change weapons anyway as a consequence of ‘ammo’ replenishing after a cooldown interval. Flying well being drones operate as your HP replenishment and are distributed evenly all through ranges. These drones additional encourage an aggressive playstyle because of the participant having to intention and shoot at them whereas avoiding hearth from enemies.
The weapons themselves management properly sufficient. There’s a satisfying really feel and sound to every weapon and you are able to do some over-the-shoulder zoom-in for additional accuracy. Fortunately, there’s intention help as a result of aiming sensitivity simply isn’t gradual sufficient with a controller. However that is an motion platformer, so there’s loads of leaping to accompany all of the capturing. That is the place the sport’s controls shine. Motion feels surprisingly exact and fluid. You possibly can decide the size of your dodge and jumps fairly simply, making for sure-footed platforming. Moreover, Exe robotically mounts ledges if you happen to miss a platform by a smidge, in order that’s good. I by no means discovered platforming to be laborious or unfair in Akimbot, which is a testomony to its exact controls and properly laid-out stage design.
“There are many puzzles present in Akimbot’s ranges[/custom-quotes]
Even if you happen to’re not glad with the gear choices in Akimbot, there’s loads of different gameplay types apart from the primary run and gun combo. The platform leaping, wall-running, and grapple-hooking present a stable traversal basis to have interaction with all through Akimbot’s ranges. And naturally, Exe and Shipset are splendidly animated as they carry out their jumps and spins, including manufacturing worth to an in any other case lower-budget expertise. Doorways are sometimes locked behind one in all three hacking minigames or puzzle codes. A few of the codes contain intelligent math issues and exploration with the intention to translate symbols.
And the gameplay selection doesn’t finish there. Whole ranges in Akimbot include shoot-em-up sequences not like something talked about thus far within the evaluate. These spaceship sequences provide a pleasant Star Fox-esque diversion from the first gameplay which give the sport circulate. Boss fights are properly designed, with enjoyable AOE strikes and shifting terrain, making good use of Exe’s gear and maneuverability. Akimbot repeatedly dishes out contemporary gameplay twists that inject life into the expertise, of which the 2D sprite-based brawler sequences are a particular spotlight. I received’t spoiler it, however the finish of the sport will get particularly artistic with its gimmicks imaginative stage design.
[custom-quote]Spaceship sequences provide a break from the same old run and gun motion, supplying good quaint arcade enjoyable”
The extent design doesn’t at all times stand out although, as is displayed by the generic aesthetic and format of the very first stage. The aesthetic and visuals generally aren’t something particular. I’m not notably keen on the persistent fog hanging on the outskirts of environments. The draw distance is so poor that it actually hearkens again to platformers from the PS1 period. The dearth of doodads and environmental element don’t actually make up for the hazy visuals both. Akimbot appears to be like like one thing made in Media Molecule’s Goals engine, however I digress.
After I was nearing the ultimate chapters of Akimbot, I noticed I really like the sport regardless of a few of its evident flaws. The brisk and interesting pacing greater than make up for Shipset’s irritating banter or the fixed screen-tearing. Likewise, the generic tropey plot managed to entertain me all through and hold me smiling. Akimbot seems like an lively motion platformer from a bygone period, nevertheless it’s additionally acquired some stunning moments that impressed me past that nostalgia.
This recreation was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
