Promenade

Genre: Platformer / Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

When Super Mario 64 was released in 1996, it was not the first 3D Platformer, but it revolutionized the genre and established countless gameplay mechanics that have stuck with the genre to this day. One such mechanic was non-linear gameplay that made full use of the 3D space and allowed game designers to give players multiple tasks within the same area, allow them to make the most out of the limited capacity that 3D levels could contain within them given the hardware limitations of the time, while also allowing for fun recontextualization of that same space.

Not every 3D Platformer would use this style of level design. The Crash Bandicoot series and most of Sonic the Hedgehog’s 3D games took an over-the-shoulder corridor-style approach to 3D level design that was in some ways closer to the 2D games, and even some later Mario games like Super Mario 3D Land still use a more linear level design, but plenty of Mario games still use a more open-ended design focused on exploration, puzzle-solving, and completing tasks, as do many other games in the genre like the Banjo-Kazooie series and its spiritual successor, Yooka-Laylee.

All of this brings me to the subject of this review, Promenade. Promenade is a family-friendly Platformer with Puzzle-Platformer elements released in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, and it does something fairly clever – it takes the open-ended design philosophy of 3D Platformers I just described and it brings it back into a 2D Platformer.

Hop into a level in this game and you’re not just looking to get to a goal at the end of an obstacle course. Rather, you’ll be looking around for parts of gears (this game’s version of 3D Mario games’ stars/shines/moons and Banjo-Kazooie’s Jiggies). Some are hidden away in nooks you need to explore to find, some need to be tracked down using a hint or clue about a part of the level where it’s hidden, some must be won in a race… there’s a surprising amount of variety here, and these tasks are generally conveyed without text, using context clues.

In one early level, for example, you encounter cannons shooting cannonballs you can grab out of the air, and at one point see a snail character that keeps getting smacked in the face with them, an amusing little interaction you may dismiss at first as window dressing. But if you take the time to keep grabbing those cannonballs so they don’t hit the snail, it eventually makes its way to safety, where it meets with another snail on a date to reproduce the Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene, revealing a gear piece behind the slurped pasta.

The creativity in this game’s puzzles is really exceptional, but the core gameplay is quite good too. Players attack enemies by sending out their octopus-like buddy, which acts a bit like Klonoa’s grabbing ability in that grabbed enemies can then be thrown or projected downward in mid-air to act as a one-time double-jump. In addition, players can use their octopus buddy to latch onto hooks or other grabby things, with the game having some tricky platforming sections requiring you to zip from hook to enemy to double-jump to hook and so on. Furthermore, there are some clever boss fights here that really put your simple skill set to the test in creative ways. While at times challenging, the game is also extremely forgiving, allowing you to retry as many times as you like.

This is all joined by a really excellent presentation using colorful, cartoony 2D visuals with fluid animation and character designs that remind me a fair amount of Adventure Time as well as another great Platformer, The Adventure Pals, with a nice filter that makes the visuals look like a watercolor painting when paused or loading. This is backed by a gentle but upbeat acoustic soundtrack that fits the game’s overall tone.

Overall, I found Promenade to be a wonderful Platformer that’s surprisingly creative with plenty of variety and great core gameplay, and a delightful presentation. It’s a clever use of the lessons learned from 3D Platformers applied to a 2D Platformer. And it’s a game that I think every fan of the genre should give a look.

tl;dr – Promenade is a Platformer with Puzzle-Platformer elements that takes the goal-oriented level design of some 3D Platformers and brings it into a 2D game with plenty of creativity and a solid presentation. This game is absolutely one that Platformer fans should play.

Grade: A-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2024 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Platformer

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