Grapple Dog is a fantastic platformer that more people should play that only barely falls short of 5 stars.
The graphics are always pleasant to look at, and the few cutscenes in the game (along with the 100% one) are nice.
The gameplay is nice and fluid, with the grappling hook always being fun to use. Its momentum can be a bit hard to figure out at first, but I feel like by the end I knew all about using it (aside from a speedy short jump I pulled off several times I have no clue how to actually do). My only issue with the gameplay is just the level design - don't be surprised if you go checking out a path for gems only for it to actually be the main path and to have blocked you from backtracking, or realizing you missed a gem and you have to restart or replay the whole level. By the end, there's also several moments where you have to sit and wait for platforms to move, killing any momentum you had going with your platforming. Most of the boss fight levels also just consist of waiting, where you have to sit and dodge a projectile or 2 until eventually the game lets you use your grappling hook to get to a weak point and hit it. The few exceptions to this are the first boss, a boss at the very end, and the world 4 boss (which takes fewer hits and uses the grappling hook mechanic way better than most of the other bosses).
Another weak point of the game is the story and characters - not like you should be going into a platformer expecting much, but the characters and story can each be summed up in a single sentence if you really wanted to, with the most complex character having around a dozen lines total.
The final issue with the game is just the music. The songs are good, but there's only one per world and they all seem to loop pretty quickly. For most of my experience, I just threw on some Youtube playlists to keep my sanity intact.
While this might seem like a critical review for 4.5/5, it's because I think that Grapple Dog is a great game with problems that, if solved, could make Grapple Dog 2 (or Grapple Dog DLC? not sure where they're going) a classic. The gameplay is there, there's several interesting sequel hooks within the game they could use, and there's a few moments in levels where the grappling hook platforming really gets to shine and the game feels like it could be a classic. In fact, just having every boss fight be similar to the three specific ones I mentioned would be a huge step up since you get to actually engage in the game's platforming during them instead of standing in a box and moving to the left and right to dodge stuff.
tl;dr please buy Grapple Dog and give the creator money so he makes Grapple Dog 2, the celeste of Grapple Dog games
also FYI the base controls aren't that great (at least for keyboard & mouse), make sure you rebind them as soon as you can.
The graphics are always pleasant to look at, and the few cutscenes in the game (along with the 100% one) are nice.
The gameplay is nice and fluid, with the grappling hook always being fun to use. Its momentum can be a bit hard to figure out at first, but I feel like by the end I knew all about using it (aside from a speedy short jump I pulled off several times I have no clue how to actually do). My only issue with the gameplay is just the level design - don't be surprised if you go checking out a path for gems only for it to actually be the main path and to have blocked you from backtracking, or realizing you missed a gem and you have to restart or replay the whole level. By the end, there's also several moments where you have to sit and wait for platforms to move, killing any momentum you had going with your platforming. Most of the boss fight levels also just consist of waiting, where you have to sit and dodge a projectile or 2 until eventually the game lets you use your grappling hook to get to a weak point and hit it. The few exceptions to this are the first boss, a boss at the very end, and the world 4 boss (which takes fewer hits and uses the grappling hook mechanic way better than most of the other bosses).
Another weak point of the game is the story and characters - not like you should be going into a platformer expecting much, but the characters and story can each be summed up in a single sentence if you really wanted to, with the most complex character having around a dozen lines total.
The final issue with the game is just the music. The songs are good, but there's only one per world and they all seem to loop pretty quickly. For most of my experience, I just threw on some Youtube playlists to keep my sanity intact.
While this might seem like a critical review for 4.5/5, it's because I think that Grapple Dog is a great game with problems that, if solved, could make Grapple Dog 2 (or Grapple Dog DLC? not sure where they're going) a classic. The gameplay is there, there's several interesting sequel hooks within the game they could use, and there's a few moments in levels where the grappling hook platforming really gets to shine and the game feels like it could be a classic. In fact, just having every boss fight be similar to the three specific ones I mentioned would be a huge step up since you get to actually engage in the game's platforming during them instead of standing in a box and moving to the left and right to dodge stuff.
tl;dr please buy Grapple Dog and give the creator money so he makes Grapple Dog 2, the celeste of Grapple Dog games
also FYI the base controls aren't that great (at least for keyboard & mouse), make sure you rebind them as soon as you can.