In a sea of Sonic inspired games, and for that matter Sonic sequels, Penny's Big Breakaway is the first one I think that genuinely follows up on the principles of the Classic entries. Namely, that momentum is a must to be good at the game. Being put in the shoes of a newbie with zero momentum talent, but armed with a toy that shapes her into a platforming genius, is by far the best idea for a Sonic successor I can think of.

Penny has wonderfully layered level design and controls, resulting in a ton of possibilities to workshop a level. Granted, it may stumble onto some physics bugs and its story doesn't feel as cohesive as it potentially could be. But the fact is, they nailed it. They nailed a game where not only advanced players gotta learn momentum, but EVERYONE who plays the game. And overall, it makes me so damn happy seeing such a technical platformer both baffle and amaze gamers of today.

Part of me kinda wishes this was a straight up linear action game or platforming game. Of course, the platforming here is as sublime as the modern Rayman entries, but surprisingly, the combat of this game is excellent! I found myself getting really invested in upgrades, customizing my builds, and getting into random fights for fun and especially feeling great about the boss fights.

What holds it back is that this isn't a very cohesive Metroidvania to me. It's a very massive map, considering how it has to make room for the elaborate platforming challenges, and there isn't many opportunities for shortcuts in either the environment or the movement pool. Perhaps there's something I'm missing with the level design, but I just couldn't feel any rapport with it like I have with other Metroidvanias (and Metroid itself).

Still, I think it's totally worth a try for what the team is renowned for, and for a newfound strength of theirs! I'll always look forward to Ubi Montpellier's platforming games, but I really hope they delve further into combat-focused games from this point on, there's some exciting potential for that here!

This was my first Shantae game, and it was pretty good! I can see how this more linear structured game might not jive with the Metroidvania style of these games, exploring and completion did feel a bit unnatural than I expected from this series. But for the most part I enjoyed clearing the levels and didn't mind too much having to backtrack for certain items between them, making for a solid any-percent run.

I think even the game realizes it's better off as a Mega Man style experience because its more arcadey DLC modes go for a more marathon-based progression, which make the game a lot more fun. Overall a good gateway game with a lot of heart put into its production and content that definitely made me more interested in the other core Shantae entries.