Pode Review
Pode
Developer: Henchman & Goon
Publisher: Henchman & Goon
Website: http://www.podegame.com/
Genre: Puzzle, Adventure
Platform: PS4, Switch, Steam
Age Rating: Pegi: 3
Release Date: 21/06/2018
Price: £22.49
A code was provided for review purposes.
Puzzle games can either be hit or miss. Either they are easy or way too hard, and quite a few barely hit the middle. With Pode I believe a perfect balance was hit, and while I was afraid of what was coming up, I felt like the game did it great. How was it able to manage that? Read and find out.
Un-usual Duo
Pode’s story is simple at its finest, as a shooting star hits a mountain and falls down, with no way back up into the sky: all seems hopeless for the little guy. However, the fallen star is greeted by a rock and it decides to help the fallen star get back into the sky. As such they team up and set their goal at the top of a mountain, becoming friends along the way.
The presentation of Pode is very good, but it isn’t perfect. Expect frame rate issues as you go along with this game. However, despite the frame rate issues, I enjoyed how the game looked as I played through it. The colors were also wonderful and it was a joy to look at.
Visuals Aren’t Everything
While the visuals were nice, sadly the music is the lowest part of the game for me, it feels like it plays the same song through-out it all. So the game would have benefited with a few more tracks.
Great Puzzle-Solving
Puzzle solving in Pode has this perfect balance to it, because the game doesn’t hold you by the hand as you play it. Basically, you’re going to have to learn how to do the game yourself, which is fine because the game is pretty simple to pick up and play.
Pode’s puzzles themselves aren’t too difficult, but they aren’t easy either and always throw something new at your face. As you play through the game, the new friends will learn new abilities which gives the game more flavor as you continue playing, However, sometimes I get mixed up on my moves and have to restart a puzzle I was working on.
The levels you play through, will also obtain these other mysteries to find; it might be trying to find a flower to break, or a symbol on the wall, these mysteries will lie. However, I didn’t bother with these as I didn’t find them needed and didn’t like looking for them.
Results:
Pode really is a special game. While the music and the occasional frame rate drops might be a downside, the game has so many upsides it doesn’t matter. The visuals are great, the gameplay is great as well along with the puzzles. While the story is simple, it gets the job done. If you’re into puzzle games, I can’t recommend this game enough.
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase Pode for the Nintendo Switch at the following link: Nintendo eShop
