For better or worse, Frogun really feels like a game ripped from the late 90’s. This is his platformer puzzler with the feel of his PS1 era, and while it’s glued to the presentation, it inadvertently captures the frustrating and finicky nature of his early 3D games.
You play as a girl looking for her parents and traverse tricky little levels as she delves into an ancient temple using her Frogan, a gun that is also a famous frog. Core Her hook fires frog tongues to pick up enemies and items, as well as tackle walls and other objects. A great idea that works well enough, but the execution is so simple that the concept never really evolves beyond the occasional pull of a lever.
Luckily, the weapon’s auto-aim is very generous. Frogans usually aim at what they want to attack. Most of the time it’s fine, but you can still aim manually by holding L2. This is definitely useful when trying to cross large gaps, especially as the platforms themselves can be a little noisy. can be surprisingly difficult.
There are many things to collect in each stage, but most are optional. Only the perfectionist collects special artifacts, but searching for them will take you to hidden areas off the main his path. Coins aren’t necessary to progress either, but they’re used to buy things like hats and artwork, which is why you get them.
From a presentation point of view, the game has a lot of charm with its low-poly models and bright colors, and it always works flawlessly. The music and effects are also fairly old-fashioned, but can be frustratingly repetitive at times. Its core idea is good, but the levels aren’t really built and some of the cute visuals only go so far.
