Critter Crunch Review

Critter Crunch / Publisher: Capybara Games / Developer: Capybara Games Platform: PS3 / Genre: Puzzle Game / Release Date: October 8, 2009

If you don’t have a heart of stone then Critter Crunch should immediately endear itself to you. With an absorbent amount of character and gorgeous hand draw graphics Capybara Games’ (Capy) first PSN release is easily one of the most fun and challenging puzzle game I’ve played in years.

Story:
For a puzzle game, Critter Crunch has a great story. Like the game itself, it is pretty simple but has a lot to offer. You play the game as the main character Biggsliocaucus or Biggs for short. Biggs is a medium sized round mammal with no arms and a very long and sticky tongue. Despite being the main character, the game is actually told by naturalist and explorer Hank Hudson whom is visiting the island of Krunchatoa for research on Biggs and to film his tv show. Hank Hudson gives us all the pertinent information about what Biggs is, why he is crunching critters, eating gems, and barfing into his son’s mouth. Hudson will also explain to you the island and give info on new types of critters. The story follows Biggs’ adventure across the island he calls home. Even though the cut scenes that feature Hudson lack voice work, it still manages to add a lot of character to the game and has a ton of charm. It makes the game feel like it is more than just a puzzle game. I could easily see these characters returning in another type of game, featuring the adorably cute Biggs as the main protagonist once again.

Gameplay:
Critter Crunch consists of several modes, but it would be wise to play the Adventure mode first as it acts as a tutorial and also delivers the games humorous story. In Adventure mode players will move between 22 locations on the world map. Each of these location offers several different levels. They range from Adventures that tell the story and introduce new game mechanics, Puzzle levels in which you have to clear the level with a limited number of turns, and Challenges that vary from time limits, only crunch specific critters, and so on. You have to beat three of any of these levels to get access to the next stop on the map.

The game starts off easy enough in Adventure mode, but as you progress you come up against some seriously hard levels. You play as Biggs, who uses his long sticky tongue to feed smaller critters to larger critters. This is the food chain mechanic of Critter Crunch which sets it apart from other puzzle games. When these critters get too full they pop and drop gems which Bigs eats. If the critter that pops is touching another critter of the same type and color it will also pop. So you an string together chains of critters which produce larger gems that in turn fills your hunger bar. If you manage to create a chain that is 8 critters long then Bigs’ son Smalls will appear on one side of the screen. He will open his mouth and beg for food, so being a good father Bigs will oblige if you move him next to Smalls and press the circle button. Bigs will then produce the most lovely rainbow colored barf stream you have ever seen, which unless you live one crazy life I’m pretty sure you haven’t seen too many streams of rainbow barf in your life. Anyway, this gives you a lot of bonus points. However, your barf isn’t only coveted by Smalls. The critters are also drawn to the full spectrum regurgitation. When you are barfing into Smalls’ mouth the critters will move down the vines faster. You have to balance feeding Smalls and watching the critters or else they will reach the bottom the vines and it is game over. If you fill up your hunger bar the level is complete.

Food chains and barfing aren’t the only gameplay mechanics in Critter Crunch. There are a bunch of fun and funny power ups to aid Biggs in his quest to crunch across the island. The power ups, or power foods, are obtained by popping certain critters. The power ups come in a variety of flavors. Such as watermelon seeds, peppers, spray paint, and more. Each one does something different and can really save you in a jam or help you get massive chains. These are introduced over the course of the Adventure mode levels, and become more important as you progress through Adventure mode.

You will also be introduced to new types of critters as you move across the island. These new types of critters will drastically change the way you play the game. They can be inedible critters made of stone, bombs which blow up everything around them when feed two critters of any type, vegetarian critters which won’t eat other critters, toxic critters, and so on. These additions really make the game’s difficulty rev up towards the end of the game. They also keep things feeling fresh through out your long adventure with Biggs.

There is also one other mode that is not available in Adventure mode, Survival mode. Survival mode is a pretty straight forward mode where your object is to… well, survive. You want to survive as long as you can. This is fun and can get quit hectic. In my opinion it is a lot of fun to play this mode in co-op, but I’ll touch on that later.

At the end of any of level you get a score which will then rank you on the leader boards. if you are connected to the PSN. Besides your overall ranking you can also can compare just among your friends, which should probably make you feel not as bad if your ranked somewhere in the thousands. Also, if you fail a level you will be treated to a hint or tip. However, pretty much all of these won’t be actual tips for the game. Instead they will humorous messages that should at least get a smile out of you if not an actual laugh. I found this addition to the game to be great. If humor is done right in a game, it really adds a lot to the overall game.

Online:
For those that feel the need to crunch with friends, Capy has added two multiplayer modes. You can either play with or against people online or local as well . When playing co-op you are on the same team and try to last as long as you possibly can in Survival mode. If you are playing against another player then your goal is to last longer than your opponent. If you fill up your hunger bar it will add another row of critters to your opponent, putting more pressure on them. You can also get new power ups that are only available in competitive multiplayer which will affect your opponent instead of just you. These will also change as you rank up. Both modes are fun, and even more so when played local instead of online but that could just be my preference.

Conclusion:
Critter Crunch has quickly become one of my favorite PSN games to date. With a plethora of character, humor, and good looks it is sure to charm the pants right off of you. Besides being a charmer, Capy has managed to make a truly deep and enjoyable puzzle game. I’ve kind of been burned out on puzzle games for a long time now, but Critter Crunch has made me a born-again puzzle game fan. I can’t really say enough about how cohesive the stunning art direction and graphics are, the amazing hand drawn animation, lovable characters, and top notch gameplay that makes up this games. It is the total package, and severely under priced for how much content and care has gone into the game. Hell, it is so good that I even stopped playing Uncharted 2 and Demon’s Souls just to spend more time with Biggs. If you are new to puzzle games, or even a hardened veteran of the genre, you should try out Critter Crunch as I am sure it will work its magic and find a place in your gaming heart for a long time to come.

SCORE: 10/10

Tags: Capybara Games, Critter Crunch, PS3, PSN, Review