There’s something to be said about games that were made a couple decades ago. People always say they were better in the old days. The game was complete at launch, you didn’t need to spend an hour updating it before playing, and it was both difficult and satisfying. So when a game is made in the spirit of an older generation, do those things hold true? Is it nostalgia that makes people love games from the 80s/90s, or were they truly better than modern day titles like Battlefield and Inside?

It’s important to note that while Pankapu: The Dreamkeeper definitely takes influence from older games, it uses modern aspects as well. The game is told in the form of a bedtime story, as the opening involves a child waking from a nightmare. The story is supposed to help rid the child of nightmares by telling the story of Pankapu, who is a Dreamkeeper (I would’ve never guessed).

To call this game a metroidvania title would be incorrect, although the game certainly has aspects that make you think of one. There is plenty of optional backtracking to be done if you want to collect everything, as the game has many paths opened up as you gain more Aegis. Amusingly, the “secret” paths are not actually available, or end up useless in the very beginning, and you will feel as if you are being punished for exploring. Each Aegis you acquire has its own appearance, and changes the way the game is played. The initial armament allows you to battle up close and personal with a sword and shield. The second one you come across gives you the ability to double jump, use a bow and arrow, as well as dodge. The third is more magical, with a staff allowing for AoE attacks, dummy clones, and teleportation. As you progress, you’ll enhance each Aegis with both abilities and strength by finding their respective forges and upgrades.

In addition to the different Aegis which you will be switching between on the fly for platforming and boss battles, you’ll come across a few Nebula which imbue your weapons with different abilities. These aren’t nearly as important as the abilities provided by the Aegis in your possession, but they will certainly provide different strategies in battle. Some are certainly better than others depending on the mobs you come across. One notable thing regarding these is that they take up the D-Pad, meaning you are forced to use the analog stick for movement. It’s a personal preference, but I love using the D-Pad for platformers, so this was a slight annoyance. The shoulder buttons for changing Aegis worked well though.

The difficulty of the game is kind of hard to gauge/explain. It starts off very easy, which is not what you’d expect from the games that inspired it. Later on you’ll die, but not because of the game’s difficulty, per se. Many of my deaths involved pressing the wrong shoulder button for an Aegis. Whether I was floating in a wind gust like a shmup, or trying to avoid giant walls of fire being thrown my way, I’d always inadvertently kill myself. The most frustrating part was knowing exactly what I wanted to do, but not being able to execute it. And it’s right there that they nailed the 80’s/90’s game inspiration. Go back and play Mega Man (yes, the first one) and you’ll see what I mean. Just because you know how to do something, that doesn’t mean you are going to be able to your first attempt.

The game’s aesthetic hearkens back to the old Disney games; beautiful backgrounds and animation, with an OST from Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana, Shining Hearts) that you can sit and listen to for a good while without wanting to move on. The game offers a lot more than what you may think at first sight. Beyond what’s been mentioned, there are also time trials for each level that you play, giving incentive to head back once you complete the game and see if you can beat the best times. There’s nothing like a bit of competition to add a level of replayability to an already complete package.

The gameplay overall is fairly solid, with a few assortments to the levels, plenty of collectibles for upgrading not only your gear and skills, but also your life and anima (read: magic). I never ran into any weird hit-boxes; enemies all had their own tells, and nothing ever felt cheap. There was a part nearing the end of the game in which the Kickstarter backers are featured throughout that I had become seemingly stuck, so I started over and found it was just a minor glitch.

Many games that are created with the help of Kickstarter end up being a disappointment in one way or another. There are a few notable exceptions, such as Shovel Knight and Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero. I’d like to think that Pankapu: The Dreamkeeper also falls into the successful Kickstarter field, as it held true to many of its promises. If you’re looking for a fun callback to the games of the past with modern influences, look no further than here. It’s not perfect, but it’s a worth adventure.

8 out of 10

Pros:

• Beautiful Art and Soundtrack
• Combining Aegis Powers
• Variance in Collectibles

Cons:

• Minor Glitches
• Controls are Occasionally Annoying

Pankapu: The Dreamkeeper was developed by Too Kind Studio and published by Playdius as well as Plug In Digital. It was released on PC September 21st, 2016 and on PS4 and X1 September 19th, 2017 for $11.99, with a NS launch coming soon. The game was provided to us for review on PS4. If you’d like to see more of Pankapu: The Dreamkeeper, check out the official site.

 

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