‘Poinpy’ Review – Don’t Go Down, Head Up Instead
Up until now, I haven't paid much attention to the games that Netflix has to offer. I do have a subscription, but I mostly use it to read about Spider-Man. But the new additions and announcements, especially Poinpy (Free), have caught my attention. A new game from the person who made Downwell? Yes, thank you.
Poinpy is similar to Downwell in some ways. In that game, you went down procedurally-generated vertical wells, avoiding enemies and other obstacles while controlling your descent with a limited number of ways to move forward. In Poinpy, you go up procedurally-generated vertical areas while avoiding enemies and other obstacles. Your ascent is controlled by a limited number of ways to move. In Downwell, you were told to stomp on enemies to chain together combos. When you collect fruits in Poinpy, you're pretty much forced to chain together combos. You don't have gun boots here, but you can hit a hammer pretty well. It's too bad that it won't help you much against your main enemy.
You see, after you finish the tutorial, one of the first things you do is kill a very large beast that breathes fire. It will follow you as you go up, and the only way to keep it away is to keep giving it the juice it wants. The beast is picky about what it likes to eat, so you'll have to get at least the fruits it asks for. But you have to get all of the fruits without letting your feet touch the ground. You'll have to start over if you don't. The beast isn't very patient, and if the timer on its order runs out before you do what it wants, it will show its anger by setting fire to the area. You might be able to make it, but if you make too many mistakes, it's over.
I should probably tell you how to get around, right? In the classic style of mobile games, you fly through the air by pulling your finger back and letting go. You can only "jump" a certain number of times before you have to put your feet down, but that number will go up as you play more and get farther. There are different tricks in each area that will help you climb if you use them right, and as the beast gets harder, you'll have to learn when and where to move forward. If you get too many burns or hit too many enemies or traps, you will run out of hit points and die.
There are several ways that things can move forward. You can move up to a new stage in each run by following a certain number of the beast's orders. You'll be able to start from the most advanced level you've reached, so there's no need to do tasks you've already shown you can do. The other way to move forward is to gather fruit. After each run, the fruit you've picked up will be added to a meter. When it's full, you'll be able to do something new. A new skill, an extra hit point, and so on. So, if you keep trying, even if you're having trouble getting through the current area, you'll eventually get a lot of benefits.
Once you've finished all of the stages, you'll be able to play in an endless mode that keeps the fun going. You can also get to the puzzle mode by finding a hidden area. Between the three modes, you have a lot of game to play. What's interesting is that each mode needs a slightly different strategy to be successful. In the normal mode, you might try to get as much fruit as possible so you can unlock things faster. In the endless mode, your goal will be to stay alive, so you'll take less risks while feeding the beast. To do well in the puzzle mode, you need to plan carefully and act precisely. Even though your tools don't change, you're encouraged to use them in new ways. Excellent.
And really, you can expect excellence from Poinpy in every way. The game is fun and challenging, easy to learn but with enough depth to keep you interested. The game could have copied Downwell's unique look and sound, but instead it goes its own way and does a great job of it. As far as the controls go, it's perfect. The game is fun for short amounts of time, but it also gives you a good reason to keep coming back. If anyone thought that Ojiro Fumoto couldn't make another game as good as Downwell, Poinpy puts those doubts to rest.
But there are always catches, and Poinpy's are clear. To play the game, you specifically need to have a Netflix account. I don't think that will be a problem for a lot of people. In the end, it is Netflix. But if you don't have one, paying for a subscription just for this game is a bit much. And if you don't already have one, I'm pretty sure you're not interested enough in anything else Netflix has to offer. It's possible that you'd have to sign up just for this one game, but Netflix probably hopes you'll find other things to keep you there.
It's a choice like Apple Arcade, but it costs a lot more. Is that much for Poinpy? I can't answer that question, but I can say that this is a great mobile game. It works well with the format, is easy and fun to get into, and, like Downwell, seems to give you more the more you put into it. It's a reason to pay attention to Netflix's gaming initiative, and it's honestly more exciting than anything we've seen on Apple Arcade lately.
