Ruffy and the Riverside Review | UnSWAPable
When an ancient evil force returns and wreaks havoc, it’s up to Ruffy the bear to save the town of Riverside from gloom. From German indie studio Zockrates Laboratories and Phiphen Games, Ruffy and the Riverside is a breezy new 3D platformer that is both heavily influenced by the classics while still having its own charm. Despite a few late-game issues, which I will get into, the game is great and an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.
Let’s start by talking about the gameplay. The running and jumping will be nothing new to those familiar with 3D platformers. Ruffy and his friend Pip the Bee make a good duo to explore the world with. However, at the core of the game’s identity is the SWAP mechanic. This ability lets Ruffy copy certain textures and colors and paste them elsewhere. Trying to get up a waterfall? Grab the texture of leaves and paste it onto the water, and now you can climb up. Facing a color-coded obstacle, swap the colors until the path opens.
There are a lot of possibilities with the SWAP mechanic, and the game makes the most of it. Riverside is filled with environmental puzzles that can be ignored or missed, but taking the time to figure them out can lead to some of the most satisfying moments in the game. And thanks to the plethora of collectibles hidden around the map, from butterflies to cute little Etoi, you never know where the next one will appear. Though, to be clear, while the concept might seem daunting in description, the SWAP is limited to certain things in the world, so you can’t break the game with it.
Ruffy and the Riverside is a nice-looking game that is very much at home with its contemporaries. The world of Riverside is vibrant, and where it lacks in detail, it mostly makes up for in level design and character. As you explore the open world to find the letters of the town sign, you will come across some cool areas and characters that all come with their own quirks. While the world is 3D, the characters are all 2D cutouts with hand-drawn frames that add a lot to the charm.
Speaking of charm, adding to the fun vibe of the game is the soundtrack. Composed by a few different artists and available for purchase with the Deluxe Edition of the game, Ruffy‘s soundtrack is a mix of light and energetic tracks, with the highlight being the one that greets you on the main menu. It’s unique and catchy in a way that I don’t quite understand, and it encapsulates the energy of the game well.
Like I said at the start, I did find a few issues with the game and I would love to see them addressed in an eventual sequel. The first thing is the story. I don’t need an amazing narrative in my light-hearted 3D platformers, but Ruffy and the Riverside‘s story was not nearly as satisfying in its conclusion as some of the puzzles littered throughout its runtime. The game attempts to have some conversation about the idea of creation over destruction, but it doesn’t go anywhere meaningful by the end. This is only made more noticeable by the odd late-game pacing, which also contains all of the game’s bosses.
Which brings me to my next point. The boss fights in Ruffy are pretty underwhelming. There are only a few of these in the game, and although the setup and level design are fine, the actual fights just require you to run around, dodging projectiles, until the boss gives you an opening to go and clobber them. Repeat this three or four times per boss, and they go down. The rest of the game is so satisfying to tackle that these moments stand out in contrast.
That being said, none of that took away significantly from the fun I had with Ruffy and the Riverside. While it can certainly be completed in under 10 hours, it took me close to 13 to roll credits. From matching mushrooms to breaking pillars, there are a lot of nice little distractions in Riverside that make you want to not just breeze through it. I just wish that it had stuck the landing a bit better. However, this was the debut title for both the developer and the publisher, and I would love to see them iterate on this in a sequel. Until then, you can check out Ruffy and the Riverside now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. A code was provided to us for review.
