Piggy Adventure Review

Don’t let the simple name fool you. Piggy Adventure is fun and refreshing. The latest iOS release from Korean mobile games developer Com2uS, the game is a concept not as commonly seen on mobile: A puzzle-platformer. Yes, they are out there, but few task players with using three unique team members, their abilities, and the environment to get from one point to another.

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Piggy Adventure is a terrific treat for fans of puzzle platforming

Don’t let the simple name fool you. Piggy Adventure is fun and refreshing. The latest iOS release from Korean mobile games developer Com2uS, the game is a concept not as commonly seen on mobile: A puzzle-platformer. Yes, they are out there, but few task players with using three unique team members, their abilities, and the environment to get from one point to another.

The world of Avelon has been wrought with the slight problem of desaturation, as some malevolent creature has drained it of all its color. In order to solve the problem, a trio of painters named Haden, Steezy, and Moochew must venture out into the world to retrieve it. Oh, and by the way, they are a pig, a chicken, and a cow.

Each level is a relatively small space, with the primary goal being to get all three characters to the exit sign at the end. Movement is controlled by either virtual keys or tilt controls, though the latter doesn’t really do much for the game and appears present merely because it’s on an iOS device. Regardless, the three characters (which are switched between by merely tapping their portrait) are all unique and granted differing capabilities that players must use creatively to get every single one to the end of a level.

The pig is the most rounded. It is medium sized, and jumps the highest. The cow jumps for squat, but is large and can push or push over large objects. The chicken, as one would expect, is the smallest, which allows him to venture into areas where the others cannot. Additionally, all three can use each other as platforms to jump on. How a cow stands on a chicken is anyone’s guess, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment.

Most of the obstacles are fairly standard when it comes to any sort of adventure, platformer, or puzzle type of game. There are switches to hit and levers to pulls, each of which opens up some door or path. There’s also the occasional block that needs to be pushed into a gap or onto a switch to keep it pressed (Legend of Zelda style). What is refreshing is that these are often used in tandem with the abilities of the three characters to feel a bit different. As a simple example, players might have to run the chicken into a small space to stand on a switch to let the other two through a gate. Then, once on the other side, the pig can jump off the cow to reach a higher switch to open the same gate for the chicken.

Piggy Adventure

Of course, this becomes much more complicated in later levels (and there are over 40), and as they progress, new and more unique physics-enabled elements are introduced. Variations of movable, rolling stones are one such example. Some are heavy and roll quickly down hill, while others are bouncy and can not only be launched upward, but can actually be used as a trampoline when jumped on. Moreover, many levels also have planks that can be knocked down and used as dominoes to hit something out of reach or a catapult to vault a character or stone. There are even dangers beyond pitfalls, such as acid rain, to avoid. As a side note, in the first instance of this, players must find a way to pass under it safely.

Piggy Adventure has a great learning curve too. Players are able to easily get about a third of the way through all the available levels without getting stuck, and even if they do, there is an option that provides hints on how to solve each puzzle. That said, hints can only be used every so often until there is a timer to use it again. If they so desire, players can purchase, in-app, unlimited usage of this feature.

To further add challenge, each level contains three color droplets that can be collected, but it doesn’t appear to be a requirement to unlocking the next level. Only the previously level seems to need to be finished. However, the number of droplets collected, out of the total, is recorded and boosts ones score on the Game Center leaderboards (the game hosts a myriad of achievements through Game Center too).

Piggy Adventure

Truth be told, there really isn’t anything at all to complain about with Piggy Adventure. It’s fun, it’s intuitive, and it even has the ability to record play to be shared on YouTube or Facebook. The app is lighthearted with fantastic and highly saturated color palette, and despite their simplicity, each of the three characters have a wonderful amount of personality. Moreover, the sound is non-intrusive ambience, with music only playing when users are not trying to solve a puzzle. Granted, there is some recycling of environmental mechanics from older games, but when combined with new level designs and three unique characters, they are used in fresh feeling ways. Long story short, if you are a fan of puzzle games or platformers or both, this childish sounding game is a fantastically made addition to one’s app collection.

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      80 out of 100
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