Seafrog

This game is a phenomenal disappointment. On a systems level there's a lot to like here but the level design is utterly miserable to playthrough. None of the screens are set up to do fun combos in exciting ways, they're all just there to push you into level hazards and cut your combos apart for seemingly no reason. If the levels were fun this game would be awesome but as is it's inherently not fun. You even lose currency on dying a la souls games which is completely anathema to the genre. I'd even probably be able to forgive all this stuff if navigating the game wasn't so painful but it's borderline impossible to tell where you are and where you're supposed to be going.

Seafrog takes a familiar platforming formula and gives it an unusual sense of momentum by building nearly everything around a rocket-powered wrench. Developed by OhMyMe Games and published by OhMyMe Games alongside Grumpyface Studios, it is a colorful 2.5D action puzzle-platformer where movement is not simply a way to travel between challenges. Grinding, boosting, performing tricks, fighting enemies, and discovering routes are all connected, creating an adventure that feels surprisingly close to a skateboarding game despite its strange maritime setting. The rocket wrench is the centerpiece of the experience. Seafrog can grind along pipes and even certain enemies to generate fuel, which can then be spent on powerful boosts. Once the movement system begins to make sense, stages become playgrounds where walls, ceilings, pipes, enemies, and platforms can potentially be connected into one smooth sequence. The automatic trick system prevents the controls from becoming excessively complicated, but there is still plenty of room for skill. Beginners can concentrate on reaching the destination, while experienced players can attempt cleaner routes, maintain momentum, and complete sections wi…

Really cool movement, just wish the progression was more streamlined without so much backtracking. There was a point in the final ship where I just could not find the last gear to activate a grind rail, even though I had explored every available room on my map from every ship, and there were no icons telling me where the missing part was. Couldn't find a guide or walkthrough because they were from before the 2.0 update which seems to have altered the level design in this area. I just think this game would have been better without the stop-and-start progression of checking the map and having to keep going back to older areas. A more dungeon-like approach with each ship acting as one giant level would have been fine. I wrote more about this on my Backloggd. Anyway, I have to stress the movement is really cool, and I'd love to see this pushed even further in a sequel. Pariah695 sent me here.

Only got an hour in this so far but this game desperately needs the reviews. Very cute and fun 2d skateboarding platformer type game. It's definitely something you should check out if the gameplay even looks slightly fun to you. I'm just shocked this game is so unknown with barely any reviews. I'm very critical of games too so I'm not just going to rate it positively for the sake of it. It's a good game and that's all you need to know.

I thought the movement mechanics in the video looked fun. It turns out they were! They're very fun! If you think this looks good in the video, you should play it!

2D Tony Hawk Metroidvania with NICE gamefeel, well-done camera work, and cute animations! Good amount of optional content so you can play it easy or you can play it hard. Unique level ideas. An undersung gem and even better since the original demo.