Polyroll

Completed as of writing this review: 100% This 2D platformer is as simple as you can go nowadays, in a good way. The controls are simple and responsive, the stages with their gimmicks and different themes are interesting enough, and the soundtrack is fine. The only annoying thing for me were the moments when I had to keep one of the shields to get the Gold Gem, and there are a lot of these. I can't complain about much though, since the difficulty is balanced and not really hard. The Gems placement is also usually pretty clever, making sure you utilize this game's mechanic's full potential! The bosses designs have also impressed me, as they are quite unique! Overall, [b]Polyroll[/b] is a perfect way to just relax and go at your own pace! Never in my life have I stumbled upon a 2D side-scroller that lets me leave the stage right after I've collected everything I needed. Even though this makes it easy to cheese a lot of stages, this is extremely generous and I really thank the developers for that! Lastly, you really have to be in the mood for this game, or else it would feel boring. That's how I felt at least, which is why I left this in a back burner for 5 years. Just calm your expe…

[h1]Rating[/h1] 6/10 [h1]Intro[/h1] Big disclaimer if you're a Sonic enjoyer. No, this isn't the next Sonic Mania. It's more like a mix of Super Meat Boy and Super Mario World, with the Spin Dash being the only game mechanic carried over from Sonic. I felt the need to state that, because this was an unexpectedly difficult game, having come in with those Sonic Mania expectations. But I'm sure you'll find more enjoyment in this than me, if you like Super Meat Boy. [h1]Positives[/h1] + Good soundtrack. + Great aesthetics and graphics. [h1]Negatives[/h1] - Powerups rarely have their time to shine during stages. With the exception of finding the hidden gems. - You're left with only one heart and therefore only one hit when you die. Which leaves you open to enemy attacks that are hard to dodge, only to die to them again. - Bosses are too reliant on trial and error for difficulty. The counter attacks that you have to do for the bosses for instance, tend to be really specific and require so much precision.

This game will test you, especially with those insta-kill crushers near the end and that poxy forest level, but it still feels fair, I don't get why you play as a pillbug, why not something speedier like a hedgehog?

Nice

It's not bad for what it is. Lotta things annoyed me but it's fine overall. Something specific I'd wish the game had was an inventory system for powerups. Few things as annoying as when you need a specific power up to get a gold gem. Either you lost it or it's just not in the level. Super Mario Bros 3 had this and it made a wealth of difference.

Polyroll is a 2D platformer which manages to balance being very referential of 90s games (primarily Sonic but a bit of Mario) with also being its own thing. It has a charming look and feel (I particularly liked the metallic beach area), it plays well, and the levels are mostly pretty well designed. It does the classic Sonic thing of having a number of ways you can move through the levels rather than a single correct route - and here you're actually incentivised to explore because each level has three gems scattered around, and these are how you unlock further levels. My only major criticism is that the final few levels lean into excessive trial and error as a game design choice, relying on some needlessly cheap hazard placement and a requirement for perfect positioning. These last 2-3 levels aren't enough to sink the game, it's just a shame the developer decided to go in that direction at the end. Otherwise, it's fun game which does a good job of evoking the classics without leaning too heavily on nostalgia to carry it. If you want to feel like you're back in 1993, Polyroll is a solid choice.