With Zelda allegedly the only game worth playing on the Switch, I thought it was worth checking out another new release for the console (which is also on Xbox One and PS4) Snake Pass. It's not a Zelda beater, but it is worth your time.
Story
A mysterious monster is destroying Harmony Foothills and it's up to vegetarian snake Noodle and his best bird friend Doodle to save the day! I'm not sure why it's Noodle and Doodle's job, but they seem to be the most competent animals in the game, so why not?
Gameplay
There's a bit of a learning curve getting into Snake Pass. Controlling a snake starts off as being very, very difficult. For example, moving requires you to slither back and forth if you hope to cover any amount of ground in a short time. Once you get your legs (or lack thereof) on that, you have to master climbing, hanging, swinging, and all sorts of other stuff without the ability to jump or grip. That's not easy and once you break out of the tutorial world you'll find yourself dying...a lot. Slowly but surely, you'll get the mechanics of slithering whilst looping your head around poles, tightening your wrap along said pole and stretching your body gingerly to the next objective. It's not easy but when you get it down it feels oh so rewarding.
Your main objective in each level is to find three gems to move forward. There's also 5 buccaneer coins and weird spirit essence things that you can also collect if you're a completionist or looking for an additional challenge...I am not that kind of guy but I appreciate the inclusion.
Here's me playing the game on our Twitch channel to give you an idea (action starts around 2:00)...
Sound
There's not a lot of music in this game, but the tracks that are get stuck in your head. I also love the voices of Noodle and Doodle, although Noodle really just makes noises and stuff more than anything.
Visuals
If you thought this looked like a Rare game when you first saw it, wait until you jump in. Seriously Noodle looks like something that could be right alongside Banjo-Kazooie in their adventures and that's a good thing. The goofy grin Noodle he gets when he's climbing, the fear in his face when he's falling, that whistle he makes when he needs Doodle to grab his tail, it's so damn cute. I never thought I'd say a snake was cute, but he really does a lot to make this game shine. Bright colors also go a long way in this game to really make it pop.
Replayability
The completionist in you will make you want to play this game over again and get all the stuff possible to beat the game 100%. If you're not that kind of person you might play it if you're on the go and looking for a way to kill time.
What It Could Have Done Better
Really there isn't a lot except length. 4 worlds and 15 levels isn't a lot of game, and while it did take me a solid 10-12 hours to beat those levels, I felt like I was only jumping in. For $19.99 I guess I can expect it wasn't going to be a long experience, but I'm still disappointed that it ended so early.
Verdict
Despite its length, Snake Pass is a wonderful game with a good shot at a successful sequel. Give me a fleshed out Snake Pass 2 with more levels, more stuff for us guys who aren't completionists and maybe a co-op element and I'd easily pay the full asking price for a game like this. Snake Pass is a truly unique platformer that transforms the genre in a good way. I highly recommend checking it out.
