Set in the distant future, Pronty takes you to the chaos of a world on the brink of destruction. After civilization was submerged in the sea, the world is once again under threat. You play as Plonty, a protector of the community, and must explore the world of Atlantis to find out why society is collapsing.
The underwater setting allows Plonty to play with the physics you would normally expect from a Metroidvania. No unreachable shelves or high drops to fall. Instead, the game gets more creative with the way you block specific areas. Some have underwater vines or fallen brick walls blocking their way, and they eventually learn to blow up. Others are more tied to the game’s environmental message, with clouds of toxic chemicals clogging various areas.
There are also unforgiving bosses that stand in your way. These are brutally challenging in a way that inspires a true sense of accomplishment, not only when you finally defeat them, but with each quirk of their identifiable fighting style.
Accompanied by an eel-like companion named Bront, who acts as a guide, shield, and weapon. Skills that can be learned with the help of Bronto include shooting at enemies like a javelin or spinning them as a barrier against incoming attacks. It fits well in an underwater setting and offers some additional original mechanics to make Plonty stand out from similar Metroidvanias.
The sprawling map is very well designed, with sea flora and fauna sprouting from the ruins of Atlantis, and maze-like tunnels connecting the different areas that need to be explored. The world is teeming with life, bursting with color that shines from the darkness of the depths of the sea. The art style fits the setting wonderfully, with fun cartoon characters exploring detailed and gorgeous environments.
The other creatures you encounter are designed in similarly fun and creative ways.Most of the time you’ll see tiny beings heavily influenced by marine life that exists in the real world. They often have exaggerated weapon-like capabilities or can shoot projectiles and are easy enough to learn how to defeat. They fight much harder, fusing their fish-inspired foundations with giant blades, spikes, or bullets to mutate in more extreme ways.
Throughout the game, you can’t avoid an environmental message at its core: the failed infrastructure that triggers the narrative action. Mutated sea creatures you are surrounded by. Toxic spills that block your path until you learn to navigate them safely. It’s by no means a heavy-handed message, but it’s very comfortably woven into the story, setting, and gameplay. increase.
As a game, Plonty is a lot of fun. Both exploration and combat mechanics are engaging, interesting, challenging, and well-balanced. The original concept easily syncs with the familiar Metroidvania framework, and you end up with many games.
