Pandea Stones is a platformer that is simple to learn but a little tricky to master that would cater to those who have a little speedrunning itch to satisfy as it requires a number of trial and error playthroughs in order to improve one’s timing.
Pick Up & Go
The game mechanics are simple and not complicated because it has that “plug & play” feel to it, where you don’t need some detailed knowledge to play the game. Besides the standard movement left and right, your character can jump and roll which works as an attack against enemies you encounter.
So with that in mind all you have to do is make it through the end of the level by going left and stomp on enemies or roll at them to attack them. Most enemies die in a single hit from either stomp or roll except for bosses.
Pickups
In order to set a good timing by finishing the level quickly there are pick ups that will help you along the way. Picking up gold coins (that have a timer symbol on them) will help shave valuable seconds off your final time. Picking up the ice timer will as you guessed it, freeze the time for a few seconds. The glowing stuff will help heal your character so he can withstand one hit or more before dying which results in the level restart or respawn at the checkpoint. Other pickups include one that will make you invulnerable and you can plow through enemies and such without suffering damage.
Up Close & Personal
Some of the stuff that makes Pandea Stones more difficult than it is would be how it is presented on the screen. Everything feels a little too zoomed in so judging what is coming next or is there a platform coming up as you jump across gaps which makes it guesswork. This tends to result in making a mistake and having to redo the section or replay the level from the start as it often results in death.
Final Thoughts
The story in Pandea Stones is delivered in a comic book manner, though may seem simple but at least has some effort put into it. Though almost everything works as intended, somehow Pandea Stones feels stiff and something about it just doesn’t gel as well as it should be which makes something feels off. The story is alright, but not memorable and its progression mechanics are similar to mobile games where you need to get stars to unlock later levels. With that said it does what it sets out to do with little to no bugs, a platformer that challenges you to set a better time compared to your last run.
Purchase Pandea Stones on Steam!
Hailing from a small Island. Huge football fan. Drinks too much tea.
Survival, Roguelikes, Turn-based or Indie games in general are my go to genres but I like to dabble in all kinds of genres. I tend to have a soft spot for Shmups and Hidden Object Games once in a while.
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