After spending a couple of hours with Pitfall Harry’s newest adventure, I feel confident in saying that fans of the classic Pitfall games will not be disappointed. Right off the bat, the game goes for your nostalgic jugular, with those crazy mouth-holes in the ground and alligators in the water for you to jump on. There is plenty of vine-swinging, and the mechanics are done really well. The physics for swinging are surprisingly realistic (the turning controls reverse depending on whether Harry is swinging forward or back, for instance), but it’s easy enough that anyone can swing where they need to after a few tries.

The Lost Expedition is mostly a 3D platforming game, with some respectably challenging jumps so far (though the penalty for falling in a pit is small). It’s also heavy on exploration, featuring an open world set up much like what you’d expect from a Metroid game. You’ll often see paths that are unreachable until you learn a new move and come back. There are plenty of secrets too, most of which lead to the treasure idols used to purchase health and ability upgrades. The game apparently takes place entirely in and around a giant rainforest, complete with giant trees, Aztec temples, irate savages, rock-throwing monkeys, and other crazy stuff. The jungle is broken up into many small areas, each one usually revolving around a prominent environmental feature or a specific jumping sequence. You’re free to explore and move among the different areas, which I think will become confusing once more paths have opened up, unless the game eventually provides a more detailed map. Regardless, it’s a mostly pleasant surprise and a far cry from the linear action game I was expecting. There is also a fair bit of combat, and although it’s very simple so far, the battles are quick and satisfying enough that they don’t really break up the more interesting exploration and platforming elements.

In addition to its Zelda-like adventure gameplay, The Lost Expedition also brings a much stronger story to the series. Its oddly modeled characters are funny and talkative, though predictably stereotyped. Harry himself is gallant and clever, and he has a crush on the expedition’s lone female member. My favorite character so far is Quickclaw the talking jaguar, who debuts in an amusing cut-scene in which he expounds upon the dangers of a dead snake. Harry’s mission is to rescue the members of his expedition, who were scattered across the jungle when their plane crashed in a storm. The story apparently broadens from there, as the prologue has Harry fighting a fiery demon-panther until he rewinds the plot back to the plane crash.

So far, I’ve been really impressed by the game’s presentation, which includes menus pulled from an ancient book and loads of physical comedy built into Harry’s animations. You know the game isn’t taking itself too seriously when Harry gets eaten by an alligator, with his arms and legs sticking out either side of its mouth. It’s pretty funny stuff, and I’m sure there’s more to come. The art style is whimsical and well done, but on a technical basis, the graphics have a bland multiplatform look about them. There are some cool little touches, like a tapestry that flaps realistically when kicked, but visuals aren’t the game’s strong suit. Otherwise, Pitfall: The Lost Expedition seems well-rounded, and it’s certainly a lot of fun to play. We’ll have a full review soon, but for now, be sure to check out our pile of exclusive screenshots.