Everything is so serious these days. In games we are hunting unsuspecting monsters, smashing each other into outer space, and pretty soon we’re going to be in Montana fighting a crazy religious cult. What is happening to us? What have we done? What ever happened to simple fun?
I think we need to reevaluate ourselves. We need to play video games like Putty Pals on the Nintendo Switch.
Put down the guns, swords, bombs, and kung-fu fists. This is the good kind of announcement.
Putty Pals joyously released on the Nintendo Switch on October 18th 2017. It’s an indie co-op game where you play as two bouncing blobs who have to work together to find their way back home. It’s a simple game that requires constant communication which is a skill a lot of us are losing today. I can safely say that after ten hours of playing Putty Pals, I have not been called an N-word nor have I been subjected to constant whining. It is what a solid, co-op game should be about. Getting from point A to point B should totally depend on how well you work with each other and depending on each other is the ultimate game mechanic.
It’s a colorful game as well. Bursting at the seams with reds, blues and greens. If Skittles made a game this is probably what it would look like. Except Green Apple would be the thing that kills you in the game, because no one ever wanted Green Apple and it should go away. Far away.
Also, it’s ten bucks. For the price of a questionably used, paperback version of Fifty Shades of Grey, you too can experience the whimsical world of Putty Pals as you and a partner traverse a playfully perilous world of blobs and other blobs.
Technically, you could play Putty Pals by your lonely self but it is extremely difficult. Each Joycon on the Switch pertains to each blob so your brain is almost severed in half as each quadrant tries to comprehend every would-be co-op scenario. Similar to the same screen co-op gameplay used in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. It’s not fun and it’s sad to play this game alone so don’t do it, don’t be sad like this blob.
Despite Putty Pals’ irreverent energy and feel-good vibes, It’s still not a perfect game. It’s missing a rewind button like the recent Forza Motorsport games or Invisible Inc. for those crucial moments where you clearly messed up. The game is also short, sporting only 28 levels and unlockables which can be completed rather quickly if your blob buddy is half as smart as you are. The game can also be rather bland with some of its level design. There are free-to-play games on my iPhone that look and sound better than this which is a shame because the Nintendo Switch is capable of much more.
These are all minor criticisms and Putty Pals rises to the occasion on many other fronts. One such front is the infectiously, happy-go-lucky music that plays throughout the game. I mean, just listen to this.
Putty Pals joins a splendid group of other playful video games such as Snipperclips, Overcooked, and Battle Chef Brigade. These are games that are designed to put a smile on your face and if that doesn’t happen then you really need to see a licensed, medical professional as soon as you’re done reading this.I played this game with my next door neighbor (who I can’t stand) the other day and it felt like we bonded after not seeing each other for 20 years. I’m not saying Putty Pals can mend relationships but it certainly will help bring people together and it did, if only for a brief moment.
It can even be therapeutic playing this compared to other games. Often times in Monster Hunter World, you don’t get what you want, which can be a downer when you’re going for that full armor set but things just aren’t going right. In these stressful times, Putty Pals is there to save the day.
I’m not sure what developer Harmonious Games is up to for their next game but I hope Putty Pals 2 is in the picture. Maybe expand it to online co-op? Adding four-player local co-op? It can get pretty hectic when communicating with one other person but imagine having to deal with three other blobs on the field. It might just turn into Gang Beasts if anything. You don’t fight each other in Putty Pals, you fight the odds. They should put that in the marketing.
Putty Pals is a gift to all the players out there burned out by all the super serious video games coming out. It’s a breath of fresh air and it plays like a dream on the Nintendo Switch. The game is also available on Steam. This has been a Public Service Announcement from The Game Fanatics, be well and be kind.
