Respawn points were less generous here, and and I grew to hate the sound of the cat meowing as she fell to her doom. Trying to juggle both at once led to too many instances where either Annika or the cat died. I had to help guide a cat through a level by pressing switches that made platforms appear or disappear while also platforming myself. I don’t have many significant criticisms of the game, but there was one section in particular which I found frustrating. As an adult, I found it a bit too simple at times, but thanks to varying its gameplay and a short running time, it managed to keep my interest until the end. Thereafter, these battles were straightforward, though it’s easy to change the difficulty level as needed.īy including options like these, Giraffe and Annika is a laid-back experience that seems well-suited to (I assume) a younger target audience. I had some problems early on, but these were rectified when I discovered the option to calibrate the timing and offset input lag. As these land in a marked circle, the player needs to correctly time pressing or holding the action button while avoiding projectiles. Here, orbs are shot towards either side of the screen. Platforming and traps are also introduced, but aside from some large boulders rolling towards the player, all are easily navigated and any frustration is mitigated by plentiful respawn points.Īt the end of each dungeon, the player faces a boss, and gameplay switches to rhythm-based battles. This isn’t much of an issue, especially with the generous amount of health recharge points available. The onus is on the player to avoid enemies, as there are no means to attack. Thankfully, going through the dungeons is relatively straightforward. Since the game never indicated how important these would be, I didn’t appreciate having to go back through dungeons I’d already finished while trying to remember where I’d seen some treasure chests. I assumed they were optional, but I discovered that progress is gated until a set number have been found. There were also instances of required backtracking, and without a map, navigating is sometimes an issue.įor example, Giraffe and Annika includes collectibles in the form of cat pictures, and as a player, I usually give collectibles a miss. However, it’s not always clear where to go next, or how to get there. The dungeons are gated by color-coded doors that require corresponding keys, and these keys are given after completing tasks like fetchquests for NPCs, or puzzles. These are opened up by gaining new abilities from the star fragments such as jumping or being able to swim underwater for longer periods. The player explores the island from a third-person perspective, and while the player is free to explore many areas right off the bat, some (like the mountain or lighthouse) are off limits. That said, it fits the content and tone, pointing to a wholesome and simple experience aimed at a younger audience. However, every character has a fairly typical oh-so-cute Japanese manga style that I usually find grating. Giraffe and Annika also includes a day-night cycle, and at sundown and sunrise the visuals really pop. The environments are simple, but bright and boldly colored. When it comes to the art style, a player’s mileage may vary. The player must then explore the island, carry out some tasks and find the dungeons housing the fragments. Set on Spica Island, she awakens with no memories and soon meets a floppy-eared boy called Giraffe who tasks her with finding three star fragments. Giraffe and Annika sees the player taking control of Annika, a cat-eared girl. Thankfully, Giraffe and Annika bucks that trend. Unfortunately, my picks since starting haven’t been great, and my reviews have skewed negative. I wanted to take some chances with unfamiliar genres, or titles I otherwise would’ve ignored. Part of the reason I started to write game reviews was for the opportunity to try new experiences. LOW Some gameplay styles work better than others.
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