Pankapu Review

I've had Pankapu on my radar for quite some time. I saw Jim Sterling play a demo of the game in a video of his in December of 2016, and I've wanted the game ever since. I really like side-scrolling adventure games, and Pankapu looked like it would be quite an enjoyable one. When the game released on the Nintendo Switch in September of 2017, I knew I couldn't pass up adding it to my Switch's library... Except I didn't get it until December that year, but better late than never, right?

Developed by Too Kind Studio, Pankapu is a side-scrolling adventure game in which the titular Dreamkeeper, Pankapu, sets out on a quest to defeat the Prince of Nightmares, Gangreyn. The game mechanics revolve around Pankapu's ability to change between Warrior, Archer, and Mage forms - a group archetype that I personally am quite fond of. Each form has a main attack, two special attacks that use Anima Points, and a defensive ability, among several other miscellaneous form-unique abilities acquired throughout the game. Despite these similarities, however, each form is distinct from one another, and upgrades are distributed in a way that keeps each one relevant - and are spaced out enough to give the player time to appreciate each improvement. Additionally, each form can equip one of four Nebula augmentations, which have different effects on each one. For example, the Uspewa Nebula will grant the Warrior a projectile reflecting trait to his shield, while the Archer would instead gain laser arrows that pierce foes.

Let's go into more detail about these forms, starting with the Warrior form, granted by the Bravery Aegis. Pankapu starts with this form, so it's movement options are considerably limited. However, as you might expect, the Warrior excels more at combat than anything. Its primary attack is a powerful three-hit combo with a sword that can hit multiple foes should they be in range. If this attack is used in the air, Pankapu will float in place for a moment, making it easy to land each hit on an out-of-reach opponent (though, this is true for all three forms). The Warrior's special attack has Pankapu perform a blade-toss, which has more range than its standard attack and can dissipate projectiles. This attack can't be used midair; instead, pressing the special attack button midair will cause Pankapu to perform a downthrust. Charging up a special attack will perform a powerful mid-ranged explosion. Finally, the Warrior is the most defensive form as well as the most offensive, as it takes reduced damage from all sources and can put up its shield to guard most attacks, which will generate Anima in the process.

The Archer form, granted by the Ardor Aegis, is more nimble than the Warrior form. It grants Pankapu a midair jump, and rather than guarding with a shield, it can dash through enemies and hazards alike. Naturally, the Archer's primary attack fires arrows, which have great range and generate Anima with each successful hit. Instead of a downthrust, the Archer will fire an arrow downward when the special attack button is pressed midair. On the ground, pressing the special attack button will deploy a mine-like trap, while charging it will fire a powerful, wall-piercing seeker arrow at up to three targets. The drawback to the Archer form is that it has the worst defenses of the three forms, taking increased damage from all sources.

Finally, there is the Mage form, granted by the Faith Aegis; this form is all about control. It allows Pankapu to slow his falls, deploy a decoy, and even freeze opponents in time with both of its special moves; the standard special is a wave-like projectile that will freeze a single target, while the charged special is a bubble that freezes all who enter it. The Mage's standard attack sees Pankapu lobbing magic balls that explode on impact, which the size of the explosion increasing with each hit in the combo. Generating Anima is arguably easiest as the Mage, as it will build up Anima passively over time. Rather interestingly, the Mage form has middle-of-the-road defenses; it doesn't take as much damage as the Archer, but it takes more damage than the Warrior. I'm used to mages having the weakest defenses, so this threw me off.

Now, it may seem as though I spoiled every single detail about each form, but the truth is I only covered the basics. I didn't even mention any of the upgrades that they get to add to their utility, nor did I detail how each of the Nebulas augments their abilities. Believe me when I say that there is still plenty more left to discover. Like I mentioned previously, the game does a very good job of spacing out upgrades, so you'll be discovering new abilities throughout the whole game, and you can be sure that the level design will make good use of each one.

Even at its most simplest, the level design is very solid. Naturally, it starts off with basic jumps and moving platforms, but it gets rather involved later on, going so far as requiring quick switching between forms. Don't go assuming that the early game platforming is boring and dull, though, as it is still quite satisfying and is often spiced up with good enemy placement. Much like Metroid, Pankapu understands that even weak enemies can still act as hazards to be avoided while platforming, In addition, the game never treats the player like they're an idiot. Sure, text may appear on screen to teach the player the controls or introducing them to one of the game's unique mechanics, but it never stops the player dead in their tracks just to tell them "look at this jump. If you hold down the jump button all the way, you can make it across."

Pankapu practices the idea of "learn by doing," and trusts the player to figure the rest out on their own. For example, a technique that's rarely required by platformers is the "short hop" (which is a Smash Bros. term, but I'm gonna borrow it), where the player ever-so-slightly taps the jump button to gain enough height to clear a low obstacle or gap without going high enough to hit a higher obstacle. Pankapu never directly tells the player how and when to use this technique; it tells the player how to jump and lets them figure out how and when to short hop on their own (not that it's hard to figure out, but still).

Personally, I tend to not have a lot of fun when games - especially platformers - start going full-force with the difficulty. This wasn't the case with Pankapu. The game can get quite challenging, but it's never overly punishing. Checkpoints are always close enough to be where you need them, yet far enough apart where dying is still a setback. The level design is also never cruel or jerkish. I never got truly frustrated because it always felt like I died out of my own fault and not because the game tricked me or got me with a sucker punch.

Much like the levels themselves, I never thought that finding all of the collectibles was too hard, either. Sure, there were still times where I'd go through the same level five times looking for just one thing, but I'd always find that last thing with enough patience and persistence. Nothing was too obscurely hidden or put in a spot that's so hard to get to you might never think to look there. Some might argue that they're too easy (like they do with Super Mario Odyssey for some insane reason), but I appreciate the fact that I didn't have to use a guide to find everything. I found it all on my own and it never felt like I was going crazy doing so.

The Antagonist, Gangreyn

An Itopian Forge

The World and Its Inhabitants

A Mytholith

A Short Hop Example

Completionists should appreciate that there are 400 fairy-like Mudjins to find throughout the whole game, with a reward given after every 25; several Itopian Forges, to increase the power of one of Pankapu's three forms; Lutanite Fragments, which increase Pankapu's maximum health when four are collected; Nagitos, which increase Pankapu's maximum Anima by one point; Mytholiths, which provide lore on a particular subject, such as a character or enemy; and Memoliths, which tell reveal part of a hidden backstory when a set is completed. Even if Mytholiths and Memoliths don't sound interesting now, I would argue that they are totally worth finding. Pankapu's lore is unique and quite imaginative. There's enough there to be interesting, but not so much where you need some sort of chart to keep track of everything.

If finding all of that isn't enough of a challenge, once the boss of an area has been defeated, Time Trials open up for every level in the area. Just as the name implies, Time Trial mode sees you replaying a level to clear it as fast as possible in attempt to get the Gold Medal for that stage. Interestingly, Pankapu will revert your items and equipment to only what you would have access to at the time the level became available. I imagine this is so that you don't, for example, break early levels with the Archer's double jump. Here's where the real challenge comes in: Time Trial mode has no checkpoints. If you die, you have to start over from the beginning. Certainly if the game wasn't challenging enough before, this should provide plenty more challenge.

Pankapu earns a full 5 out of 5. Everything about the game is excellent. As far as I could tell, this is Too Kind Studio's first game, so I'm doubly impressed. The developers have displayed extensive knowledge of proper game design and have made a truly pleasant experience. Whatever game Too Kind Studio makes next - be it a Pankapu sequel or something different - I'll be excited to see it.

(Screenshots were capture in the Switch's Handheld mode and thus may not represent the quality of the game's graphics while Docked.)

Logo via official Steam page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/418670/Pankapu/