This review contains spoilers
3D collectathon platformers are one of my favourite genres, and A Hat in Time is a really fun one. It definitely goes for quality over quantity, as there's only 4 worlds, but each of them tries something different instead of generic grass/ice/fire/sand world. Well, kinda. The last and 5th "world" for the last boss is just a Bowser's Castle rip off, even the soundtrack sounds like it came from Bowser's own OST.
But each world also benefits from the amount of life thrown into them. Between their own colourful citizens, to how missions play out (e.g in one world you're working for 2 different movie directors, and in another you're filling contracts for a Satan expy in order to get your soul back). These worlds aren't just an excuse to do the same things in a new coat of paint, each one really felt like it had its own identity.
And while there's only 1/3rd of the collectable mcguffins compared to Mario's adventures, they don't put in a ton of filler ones like collect 100 coins on every star, or collect 300 blue coins, or fight the same boss again but harder this time. Each mission is its own little adventure.
Movement is also really fun. Nothing super innovative, but it controls well and is a joy to leap around. The only thing I ever had a problem with here was the leaping homing attack. It felt very unresponsive at times.
The badges and hats were a little underutilised. Only a couple of badges ever got used, and only one or two hats felt like they actually played into the platforming, as opposed to just being an excuse to lock things behind a progress wall (such as all the ice hat squares). Obviously I'm talking about the rift hat, which in the late game makes up about 80% of the platforming challenges. The time stop hat is used maybe twice for actual mandatory challenges as opposed to just using it for the sake of an easier challenge. Weirdly the potion/brew hat, despite being one of the first you unlock, I don't think was used at all for actual mandatory progress until one part of the last world, other than that it seemed to exist just to get some extra orbs and maybe a secret or two.
But it's a charming, cute game and definitely feels like it was made by people who know and love the genre.
But each world also benefits from the amount of life thrown into them. Between their own colourful citizens, to how missions play out (e.g in one world you're working for 2 different movie directors, and in another you're filling contracts for a Satan expy in order to get your soul back). These worlds aren't just an excuse to do the same things in a new coat of paint, each one really felt like it had its own identity.
And while there's only 1/3rd of the collectable mcguffins compared to Mario's adventures, they don't put in a ton of filler ones like collect 100 coins on every star, or collect 300 blue coins, or fight the same boss again but harder this time. Each mission is its own little adventure.
Movement is also really fun. Nothing super innovative, but it controls well and is a joy to leap around. The only thing I ever had a problem with here was the leaping homing attack. It felt very unresponsive at times.
The badges and hats were a little underutilised. Only a couple of badges ever got used, and only one or two hats felt like they actually played into the platforming, as opposed to just being an excuse to lock things behind a progress wall (such as all the ice hat squares). Obviously I'm talking about the rift hat, which in the late game makes up about 80% of the platforming challenges. The time stop hat is used maybe twice for actual mandatory challenges as opposed to just using it for the sake of an easier challenge. Weirdly the potion/brew hat, despite being one of the first you unlock, I don't think was used at all for actual mandatory progress until one part of the last world, other than that it seemed to exist just to get some extra orbs and maybe a secret or two.
But it's a charming, cute game and definitely feels like it was made by people who know and love the genre.