clutch_save.mp4
[Hide] (18.2MB, 1920x1080, 00:15) There have been a lot of "mascot platformers" in recent years - that is, 3D platformers reminiscent of the 5th and 6th console generations. Many of them are just the usual indie games circling the drain and not doing anything new, but there are occasional beams of light that pierce through the veil. Penny's Big Breakaway is one such game.
It launched last month on PC and Switch (and I guess PS or something?). I decided to buy it since it seemed to be promising and the developers were the team behind Sonic Mania, which I had heard good things about. Overall, it's very good aside from the bugs. Lots of fun, versatile movement tricks you can use and the stages strike a nice balance between encouraging you to explore and rewarding you for going fast. The price is a bit steep for an indie game at $30 USD, but given the studio's pedigree and the promise this game shows, I am willing to support it.
Mechanically, you have the standard 3D platformer stuff like jumping, double jumping, airdashing, and sliding around. PBB's unique gimmick is that you use a yo-yo in conjunction with Penny, so your air motions are a series of yo-yo tricks like swinging from it, throwing it out and zipping towards it, and hooking over ledges with it. It sounds like a pretty standard twist on 3D movement, but depending on how you combine the actions and how fast you're moving, you can generate incredible amounts of speed. Gaining momentum and maintaining it is important to moving fast, and you need to pay attention to your environment to chain speed boosts together through a level.
The gameplay kind of speaks for itself. It's exactly as fun as it looks, although it does take some getting used to. Using the advanced controls with both analog sticks and two shoulder buttons to control Penny and the yo-yo is the better way to play.
The music and visuals are great too. The devs made their own engine for this game and there are a lot of cool shading and lighting effects, especially on metallic surfaces like the coins. The game takes a lot of stylistic inspiration from Bauhaus art, but unlike the soulless flat corporate art style that has infected all forms of visual media in the last decade or so, PBB actually uses colors and other details to fill in the environments. The original goal of the Bauhaus art movement was to strip things down to their most basic elements and do away with overmuch ornamentation, and you can see that through PBB in everything from Penny's clothing to the designs of the people in every level.
I was worried at first about there not being enough depth in the environments due to the visual style, and I can now say that is mostly not a problem due to the game's very good camera system. Most environments are viewed from a very rigid 3/4ths view, straight on, or in profile - you are very rarely going to make mistakes due to the position of the camera making it hard to see where you're standing or jumping. I haven't seen a camera system this thoughtful since Super Mario Galaxy, which is really incredible.