If you've ever spent hours shooting endless waves of enemy spaceships in the original Platypus, then Platypus Reclayed will hit you right in the heart with a colorful, soft projectile. This remake of the legendary shoot-'em-up brings back that signature plasticine stop-motion look, but now with smooth hi-res animations and a more fluid framerate, giving the feeling of playing through a living diorama.
Comparisons to stop-motion games like ClayFighter, Neverhood, and even indie gem Armikrog are inevitable, but this is pure arcade action. Each level looks like it was hand-sculpted (which it was), with enemies having that perfect DIY charm of imperfection. The sounds remain the same as in the original (like cartoons), and the new music retains the relaxed vibe that gave the original its real personality.
The gameplay remains simple: keep your finger on the fire button and avoid everything that moves. But the real surprise is the co-op mode! Sit down with a friend (locally or online) and you'll get a real dose of chaos. There is so much happening on the screen that you will have a lot of fun trying to coordinate your movements and collect power-ups before they disappear. In two, the game is more frenetic, but also a lot more fun, almost like a little party game. It can still be frustrating when you lose all your power-ups after one hit, but that's part of the old-school charm.
Platypus Reclayed is the perfect combination of nostalgia and modern improvements with buttery smooth framerate and cheerful plasticine graphics. If you like games that look like they fell out of a plasticine box and want fast and fun co-op, this is an easy must-play.
A copy of the game was provided by the development studio Claymatic Games for review purposes
