#PIKUNIKU SEQUEL FULL#
#PIKUNIKU SEQUEL FREE#

If you are really eager and want to make sure you have it ready to go on the release date, Nintendo Switch players in the Americas can pre-order as of today. The puzzle design in this mode is magnificent, with tough but fair challenges, and I got very strong Snipperclips vibes throughout the whole experience.Today it was announced that Pikuniku, a game developed by UK/French developers Sectordub and published by indie superstars Devolver Digital, will launch on January 24th on Nintendo Switch and PC. I truly think Pikuniku is at its best when played as a co-op game, and I wish there was a two-player campaign, or at least a way to play through the current campaign with a friend by your side. And it feels almost like a completely different game. There’s no story here, just you and your friend, doing your best to get to the end of the level.

#PIKUNIKU SEQUEL FULL#

It’s here where the puzzle platforming goes into full swing, with players taking control of Piku and their almost-identical twin Niku as they travel through nine challenge maps, solving some increasingly difficult and ridiculous physics puzzles. Pikuniku’s two-player cooperative mode is, to say the least, astonishing. It’s a short and sweet experience, and if you feel it ran a bit too short, there’s always plenty of sidequests and challenges to complete, too.īut then there’s co-op. You’ll travel from place to place, do a bit of light platforming, solve a few puzzles, fight a few boss battles (yes, there are boss battles too), and after four or five hours, you’ll be done. Once you’ve spent a minute or so in the game, you know pretty much everything there is to know about controlling Piku.Īnd that’s pretty much the game. The upside is that this limited approach to features means that there’s not much of a learning curve, at least in terms of basic controls. There are a few hats that have special abilities, too, but these present themselves more as contextual button presses more than anything else. The moves available to Piku are: jump, kick, and turn into a ball. It’s a physics-based puzzle platformer, but it’s pretty light on the puzzles, and pretty light on the platforming (save for some incredible “hidden” challenges). In terms of the gameplay itself, there’s not much to write home about here. It’s understated, and that’s probably the game’s biggest strength. And I know, it sounds a bit like it might be “crazy for the sake of being crazy”, but Pikuniku never manages to overstay its welcome. It’s an absolute joy to follow the story because of this, and I found myself talking to absolutely every character I came across just to see what wacky thing they’re going to say next. Pikuniku has a very dry, deadpan style of humour, with a few little references thrown in here and there.

Obviously these subjects lack a great deal of depth, given the platform through which they’re presented, but that’s not a bad thing it shows that we can tell good, interesting stories without compromising the tone of a game.Īnd it is hilarious. It’s a simple enough story to follow, and it’s fascinating to see a silly little puzzle platformer take on complex subjects like industrialisation, gentrification, and capitalism while still remaining a hilarious bit of fun. As Piku, you must travel the world (or a small selection of a few villages) and help as many people as you can. But some aren’t happy, and that’s where Piku comes in.

#PIKUNIKU SEQUEL FREE#

But hey, they’re going to give you heaps of free money in exchange! And for a lot of citizens, that’s enough. The world of Pikuniku is filled with a bunch of not-very-smart people, all of whom are constantly under the watchful eye of Sunshine Inc, a hyper-capitalistic corporation operated by robots who are sucking all the precious resources out of the world. After a brief conversation explaining that they’re not, in fact, a bad monster, but just a regular old run-of-the-mill monster, Piku is released, and free to help the citizens of the world with their problems. After waking up in his cave, Piku sets out to discover the world and all its wonders… only to be trapped in a cage by a bunch of terrified villagers. Pikuniku tells the story of Piku, an adorable little “monster” who doesn’t really have a great deal of things to do. While it might be a little on the short side, Pikuniku delivers an utterly bizarre and amazingly charming experience, while also managing to tell a great story. Pikuniku, thankfully, belongs to the latter category. Sometimes that’s not really a good thing, but other times it results in a game that leaves a lasting positive impression. Every now and then, you come across a game that, in one way or another, is totally unique.

Pikuniku sequel