Topic: Snake Pass (Switch) Review

[stalfo]

How does a 3D platformer fare with no jump? Tough, but fun.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/44373/snake-pass-switch-review

Scroll down to the bottom for a video review.

The 3D platformer is making a comeback in 2017 and to kick us off, Sumo Digital is offering a unique twist to the genre with their latest release, Snake Pass. What differentiates Snake Pass from your average platformer is that you are unable to jump, which makes sense given that you play as a snake. Instead, you’ll slither and slide around as you explore 15 beautiful stages spanning four distinct worlds. The intrigue of Snake Pass comes when traversing vertically as you’ll coil the snake, Noodle, around bamboo poles to reach higher grounds. Unfortunately, poor camera angles at times and climbing can become problematic, leading to some truly infuriating moments.

Snake Pass harkens back to 3D platformers of the 90’s not only in visual appearance and charm, but also with the objectives for each stage. As you explore each area, you must at minimum collect the three keystones to move onto the next stage. This presents a nice challenge, especially as you progress through the game, but for players who want more, Snake Pass has you covered. In every level there are 20 wisps scattered about to collect, and for players who want an even greater challenge, there are five gatekeeper coins hidden for you to find. Collecting wisps and coins present a fun challenge at the beginning, but once moving platforms, spikes and other environmental hazards are introduced, poses a daunting task that’ll keep even the most seasoned players on the edge of their seats. Fortunately, there is no time limit or enemies in your way, so you can take time finding and gathering the collectables.

Mastering the movement of Noodle is easily the greatest challenge Snake Pass has to offer, and is something I initially struggled with. You’ll start by learning the basics of movement by holding ZR and making an S shape to keep your momentum propelling you forward at a slow pace. It’s climbing upward that at times left me irritated. To climb a wall you’ll need to hold A to get Noodle moving upwards and then weave in and out of the bamboo sticks that are strategically placed on the wall. As you climb, you can press the L button to grip onto the pole and avoid sliding off. This can buy you some time to plan out the rest of your climb or help Noodle hold on for dear life when a gust of wind comes. In the earlier stages you’ll mostly climb stationary walls or objects that don’t pose too much of a threat, but once the moving platforms are introduced or climbing up and around a corner, problems start to arise. The combination of weaving around these poles and dealing with finicky camera angles is a recipe for frustration. Luckily after you get acclimated with climbing, you’ll start to encounter more difficult obstacles ones that instead of being an annoyance to deal with become instead satisfying to overcome. Since getting from point A to point B can be difficult at times, Sumo Digital is often very generous with checkpoints, giving you one after almost all obstacles.

Each of the four worlds has a distinct theme that introduces different challenges and obstacles. In the water themed world you’ll find yourself diving underwater to find secret areas while in the air themed world, you’ll need the help of your hummingbird friend, Doodle, to carry you over jet streams to an otherwise unreachable area. Throughout your travels you’ll encounter light puzzle elements such as rolling a ball into a hole or pulling a lever to move platforms which work well with the platforming. The difficulty of each world ramps up nicely as you continue tackling the obstacles presented.  Visually each world has unique features that really make them come to life. Utilizing the Unreal Engine, Snake Pass is a pleasure to look at both docked and on the go. Each stage is booming with color so vibrant that it’s sure to bring an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia for classic Rare games. Speaking of Rare, the music is composed by the legendary David Wise, which only continues to give that nostalgic feeling. The soundtrack is a perfect fit for the free exploration of these beautifully created areas. However the addition of HD rumble does little to add to the experience in any unique way.

Snake Pass sets out to bring a familiar feeling with a unique twist that sets it apart from its predecessors. While it does exactly that, it isn’t without fault, as overcoming the challenge of platforming without a jump might scare off the faint of heart. If you can overcome the early struggles and the occasional moments of frustration, the game offers a beautiful world to explore and plenty of collectables to keep you busy.

An update adding Time Trail and Online Leaderboards as well as fixing some issues has been released, you can read about it here.

[Lemonade]

The awkward controls are the main reason I dont want to play this

[Tomato]

The awkward controls are the main reason I dont want to play this

The controls are the reason to play this. This game could not exist with traditional controls.

[lolmonade]

The awkward controls are the main reason I dont want to play this

From what I've read, this game has an octodad type gameplay element where the whole point of the game is to complete simple tasks with a fairly awkward control scheme.  If you don't enjoy a game where the actual "game" part of it is working through awkward controls, then I don't blame you for passing.

[Soren]

The controls are the reason to play this. This game could not exist with traditional controls.

From what I've read, this game has an octodad type gameplay element where the whole point of the game is to complete simple tasks with a fairly awkward control scheme.  If you don't enjoy a game where the actual "game" part of it is working through awkward controls, then I don't blame you for passing.

So the game can exist with traditional controls, it' just wouldn't be as "fun", then?

[lolmonade]

I haven't played snake pass, just was passing along some of the impressions i've read.  it kind of reminds me of one of my favorites, Super Ghouls N Ghosts.  One of its biggest distinctions is the way you control the character and its double jump that you have no control over once you launch it.  Some people like it, some people hate it.

[Tomato]

So the game can exist with traditional controls, it' just wouldn't be as "fun", then?

Yes, more or less. "Exist" was perhaps a sloppy word choice. I mean to say that this game would be fundamentally different if it controlled like, say, Mario 64. The challenges that constitute the game's levels are designed specifically around the unique movement capabilities of the snake. Playing it with a more traditional control scheme, featuring a jump button and no wriggling, would break the game, not to mention look ridiculous. It would be like playing Super Mario Brothers as the ship from Gradius: technically feasible, definitely easier, but perhaps missing the point. Video games have the potential to inhabit us in all sorts of bodies, with unique movement systems. Much as I love Mario, I am glad we are not beholden to it.

[Kairon]

The controls are definitely a challenge, but I think that can be viewed as being part of the point of the game? Think of it like the very first Snake Physics Simulator of its kind. I found what the controls DO to be pretty clear, but actually thinking about how to use them, executing them, that did not come naturally because I've never played a game where I'm supposed to coil instead of jump.

Of course, I DO think that some of the control difficulty is due to the camera. But I think a chunk of it is due to not being able to do things the easy way because you're a human trying to act like a snake.

[ShyGuy]

The controls are definitely a challenge, but I think that can be viewed as being part of the point of the game? Think of it like the very first Snake Physics Simulator of its kind. I found what the controls DO to be pretty clear, but actually thinking about how to use them, executing them, that did not come naturally because I've never played a game where I'm supposed to coil instead of jump.

Of course, I DO think that some of the control difficulty is due to the camera. But I think a chunk of it is due to not being able to do things the easy way because you're a human trying to act like a snake.

Yes, for sure the camera. THE CAMERA