As a seasoned gamer with memories of playing Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank on my trusty PS2, I must say that Akimbot, despite its nostalgic charm, falls short of the mark set by these classics. The dynamic duo of EXE and Shipset is reminiscent of our beloved heroes, but they fail to capture the same magic.
In contrast to some developers who hesitate to compare their games with others, the French indie studio Evil Raptor openly acknowledges similarities when discussing Akimbot. Similar to Pumpkin Jack, a 2020 release by the studio’s founder, Akimbot aspires to emulate the PS2 platformers Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank. The game’s retro design capitalizes on nostalgia for these iconic games. However, while it successfully recreates that atmosphere, Akimbot fails to improve upon the elements that made its predecessors successful and contains several challenging aspects.
Dynamic duo
As a fervent admirer, I’d put it this way: In the captivating world of Akimbot, I find myself drawn to a dynamic duo – the grumpy EXE (pronounced “EX-E”), a mercenary robot with a pair of vibrant personalities, and Shipset, a chatterbox drone. Our story begins when we find these two characters locked up in a transport vessel, each longing for freedom. However, EXE seems uninterested in his new ally, Shipset, who mostly provides comic relief without much else. Frankly, I can’t help but feel that Shipset falls short compared to characters like Clank or Daxter.
Eventually, the pair find themselves entangled in the sinister scheme of a cephalopod-like contraption called Evilware, who aims to dominate the universe by obtaining the Artifact that can manipulate time. The narrative is straightforward, as the title suggests, and for the subsequent 15 hours of gameplay, they dash through over fifteen consecutive stages in an attempt to reach the Artifact and prevent it from falling into evil clutches. Along their journey, EXE and Shipset don’t come across many characters, but the ones they do meet possess competent voice-acting that propels the story forward.
Killer robot
Akimbo primarily excels in action-packed shootouts, blending mini-games and platforming elements. EXE, on the other hand, boasts a close combat strike and a powerful diving attack, but his real strength lies in his assortment of weapons. These firearms efficiently destroy enemies with ease. In the initial stages, he’ll acquire an assault rifle, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, and minigun, all of which have unlimited ammo but can overheat if used excessively. Changing weapons is a breeze, as simply pressing the D-pad will do the trick. The sniper rifle generally takes care of most common adversaries swiftly. However, against tough opponents like bosses, timing the use of EXE’s special gun appropriately is crucial, provided he has enough ammo for it.
In Akimbot, many levels have a clear pathway for EXE, who must navigate through sequences of straightforward jumps over miniature platforms that span bodies of water and tackle basic logical challenges. Water contact is dangerous for the robot, as it frequently inflicts severe damage, draining his health significantly or even causing instant death. Consequently, while most platforming sections are generally easy, a single error can result in EXE being reset to the previous checkpoint.
A vicious cycle
Despite its nostalgic charm, the inconsistent surge in difficulty levels within this game serves as a clear indication that the old checkpoint system might not be suitable for modern games. Occasionally stumbling from a platform is acceptable, but certain stages demand flawless performance. As the game progresses, especially during the later stages, several mandatory mini-games become irritatingly challenging. The most vexing examples are the level where EXE must navigate through over 40 rings in a murky, foggy backdrop and another where he must drive a car with touchy controls and leap across multiple metal platforms. A minor error means starting the mini-game from scratch again. To put it simply, I was on the verge of throwing my controller by my 15th attempt to conquer these levels.
If you weren’t already frustrated, there’s a part where EXE must navigate through a trippy tunnel filled with obstacles while an overly sweet tune with painful lyrics plays. After my tenth attempt, I had to mute the game’s sound settings to focus properly. It’s peculiar because many other mini-games in Akimbot have more forgiving checkpoints or provide multiple opportunities for the character to stay alive, yet this inconsistency is noticeable.
Lacking potential
Another pacing issue is that EXE isn’t given much room for progression. After he earns the four basic weapons early in the game, the only thing he can upgrade is the special weapon that’s purchased at the shop. While there are four options for the special weapon, the mercenary can only carry one of them at a time, so there’s not much point upgrading more than one. Sadly, this shop is the only place where EXE can spend Botcoins, which are dropped by destroying crates, and there’s no skill tree where he can learn new moves or augment those he already knows. Shipset doesn’t learn any moves either, which would have made him a more substantial sidekick.
In my gaming experience, the scarcity of ways to utilize Botcoins hinders my exploration within the game world. Although each level offers multiple routes for EXE to discover lost data, these data fragments lack any tangible rewards or significant impact on the narrative, making them feel insignificant. Additionally, it seems that numerous levels are filled with excess enemies and repetitive platforming sections reminiscent of earlier levels, which can make gameplay feel tedious at times.
Nostalgically derivative
Akimbot offers a contemporary homage to PS2-era platforming, yet it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. The shooting, platforming, and assortment of mini-games are generally satisfactory, with some stages demonstrating flashes of ingenuity. However, the game suffers from a lack of character development, inconsistent difficulty levels, and unengaging exploration elements. In comparison, the original Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank boast superior level design and more captivating concepts, both having been released over twenty years ago.
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2024-09-03 19:28