The Big Journey

[h1] LocoRoco clone with blobby cat that eat some small creatures to gain more weight. 6 worlds divided into 5 levels each. Level design is good and have plenty of variety going on as well the visuals. Soundtrack is a bit meh but I'm ok with that. Tilt whole level to the sides and bounce trying to meet certain goals for each stage. Meet new friends and bounce again like a crazy cat after eating excessive amounts of catnip. [/h1]

[b]PROS:[/b] + cute art style + collecting friends/photos [b]CONS:[/b] - input problem with controllers - glitchy achievements - floaty controls/camera - repetitive level design [b]Comment:[/b] I got this game because I wanted to try out other games from the Konstructors bundle. Except this game is by Catfishbox and the Konstructors was the publisher, which is now Hook Games? Confusing. But after some logic games I tried a casual cute looking rolly polly experience. It started out fun for a few levels but then it began to feel really sluggish. The levels had little variance and so did the enemies. There are two enemy options - the flying one that you can punt away or the spiked one you should not touch - with some reskins here and there. So visually it is nice looking, pretty 2D art and all the friends and foes are cool to look at. There are twenty five basic levels across five areas with some (more or less) hidden areas with unlockable friends or cat skins. Some of these you have to find to get those 3-star ratings. Stars are divided between bug eating, dumpling eating and time trial. Then there are the extra five Adventure/Wonderland levels which also add three keys you have …

Developed by Catfishbox and published by Hook Games, The Big Journey is a delightful physics-driven platforming adventure that proves an engaging game does not need complicated mechanics or an epic storyline to leave a lasting impression. The adventure centers on Mr. Whiskers, a plump and irresistibly lovable cat whose life revolves around one simple pleasure: eating delicious dumplings. When the mysterious disappearance of his favorite dumpling chef disrupts his peaceful routine, the feline hero embarks on a globe-spanning quest filled with colorful landscapes, quirky characters, and countless culinary discoveries. The premise is intentionally lighthearted, but its warmth and humor create an inviting atmosphere that immediately draws players into its charming world. Rather than focusing on fast-paced action or difficult platforming, The Big Journey builds its gameplay around realistic physics and momentum. Players guide Mr. Whiskers as he rolls, bounces, and leaps across handcrafted stages, carefully using gravity and timing to overcome environmental hazards and reach new areas. The controls are intuitive enough for newcomers to enjoy almost immediately, while the physics system …

I'm ultimately going to recommend this game, but it is a tepid recommendation due to the increasingly frustrating flaws (almost exclusively due to the absolutely atrocious responsiveness of the keyboard and mouse controls, which result in you fighting not the puzzles/platforming challenges but rather the ability of the game to recognize that you have tilted the screen and/or hit the jump button). [b][u]Positives:[/u][/b] Gameplay basics -- It's a relatively enjoyable platformer/puzzle platformer where you use the arrow keys to tilt the screen and the space bar to jump your roly-poly cat in a quest for dumplings and (really?!!?) fireflies. These are essentially two different sorts of collectibles and hitting obstacles and creatures/enemies will make you drop one of your dumplings (which will eventually disappear if you don't snatch it back in time) but thankfully not the insects. In order to get three stars you have to get the required amount of dumplings (the hardest portion), insects (for 4/5 of the game the most forgiving portion) and beat the time requirement (again for the first four of five worlds, usually not too difficult). Oh, and you also take pictures of certain sce…

uugghh im sooo ffuuull of dumplinggsss ouuugghhhh someone heellpp meeee ooaaagghhhyuuu

a short, fun and bouncy game! maybe it's not for "serious" gamers but I don't care because I had a blast collecting dumplings