An action platformer made with stop-motion clay visuals, Floogen has an eye-catching style. Unfortunately, the troublesome gameplay doesn’t match the unique presentation.
Playing as a blob that likes to collect watermelon, the ultimate goal to essentially get to the other side of the stage. Along the way are tons of annoying enemies to whack, hazards to avoid, and platforms to jump; it is all standard stuff here. However, it seems all the work went into creating the visuals as opposed to making entertaining gameplay as almost everything works to the player’s disadvantage. The standard attack has no reach. Cheap enemy placement is more annoying than anything. Enemy attack patterns, like those damn bees, are never fun. It is possible to respawn taking damage. It is possible to keep moving after death. Levels go on for way too long. Environmental hazards like spikes and poison pools offer unfair one-hit deaths.
The claymation is never used to enhance or coincide with the gameplay. If the stop motion clay visuals were swapped with generic pixel art or 3D polygons, it would be the same game. This is a shame because so much work went into creating the claymation visuals, even if the animation is a little choppy, for it not to pay off with even average gameplay. When you can’t finish the first stage due to an impossible poison pit to cross, that is, if you can make it through the throng of killer bees with your poking attack that doesn’t have any reach, something is very wrong.
SCORE: 4.5/10
Not As Good As: Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)
Play It Instead: Claymates (SNES)
Wait For It: Clayfighter 360 and an eighth
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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