Kind of a crushing playthrough I’m not going to lie. The art style is definitely very adorable and heartwarming. Some really creative uses for the controller and clever implementation of fourth wall-breaking. Unfortunately though, all of the glitz and glamor wears off very quickly, revealing a mundane, padded out, mediocre game that, to be frank, overstays its welcome.
The art direction is genuinely great. The world feels adorably handmade and it’s really cute that they make you draw certain elements of the world. Making each player’s playthrough visually distinct. I love that that creativity also goes for the characters too, you can make them look however you want them to look.
I really like that as the player you’re guiding the messenger throughout the story and the game establishes that you are not the same entity. You, the player, and the messenger are working together through this journey to reach the end. I like the detail of having the messenger grow to trust you in the beginning of the game leading into the two of you relying on each other by the end.
I feel like there’s a gem buried in here for sure if all of the padding is removed. The game definitely feels longer than it’s supposed to be and it doesn’t help when there are long repetitive sections that don’t really have much going on. The platforming is basic, the pacing is not the best, and it doesn’t help that the back half of the game takes place in bland areas with nothing atmospherically interesting going on for long stretches of time. I feel sorry to say it but I really was having a miserable time in the last 1/3 of the game. I thought it might be just me but through looking at the trophy list, I saw that only 7.4% of players actually finished the game in the 9 years it’s been out. That should tell you everything you need to know.
I will say though that, thankfully, the game wraps up in a very heartfelt and adorable way that ultimately made me not regret going through the journey. I can’t help but think if the Vita version would’ve been infinitely better as it would feel like a much more intimate experience, which is clearly what they were going for. But, alas, Tearaway Unfolded ends up being an alright time I guess.
The art direction is genuinely great. The world feels adorably handmade and it’s really cute that they make you draw certain elements of the world. Making each player’s playthrough visually distinct. I love that that creativity also goes for the characters too, you can make them look however you want them to look.
I really like that as the player you’re guiding the messenger throughout the story and the game establishes that you are not the same entity. You, the player, and the messenger are working together through this journey to reach the end. I like the detail of having the messenger grow to trust you in the beginning of the game leading into the two of you relying on each other by the end.
I feel like there’s a gem buried in here for sure if all of the padding is removed. The game definitely feels longer than it’s supposed to be and it doesn’t help when there are long repetitive sections that don’t really have much going on. The platforming is basic, the pacing is not the best, and it doesn’t help that the back half of the game takes place in bland areas with nothing atmospherically interesting going on for long stretches of time. I feel sorry to say it but I really was having a miserable time in the last 1/3 of the game. I thought it might be just me but through looking at the trophy list, I saw that only 7.4% of players actually finished the game in the 9 years it’s been out. That should tell you everything you need to know.
I will say though that, thankfully, the game wraps up in a very heartfelt and adorable way that ultimately made me not regret going through the journey. I can’t help but think if the Vita version would’ve been infinitely better as it would feel like a much more intimate experience, which is clearly what they were going for. But, alas, Tearaway Unfolded ends up being an alright time I guess.