So, there I was, getting sucked into this weird little world called Ruffy and the Riverside. Have you ever tried controlling an Ewok, but, like, it’s a bear? Yeah, that’s Ruffy. Picture this: you’re flinging around this open world, grabbing stuff, solving puzzles. Sounds fun, right? And it is. Mostly. But I’ll be blunt—some parts made me wanna pull my hair out. Ever had those days?
Okay, so Riverside is this chill place until a huge menacing cube decides it’s time to wreck everything. It’s Ruffy’s job to stop it, kind of like a blocky nightmare meets a Saturday morning cartoon. You’re roaming through this big main area, slipping into tons of little spots, like Super Mario 64’s world if it decided to wear a bear suit. Anyway, you meet these kooky characters and face puzzles, and—gah!—those infuriating ladders. Ever try not climbing dead center and just failing miserably? Yeah, that’s a thing here.
Ruffy does this neat trick—he messes around with stuff by swapping colors or textures or whatever. Some puzzles spell it out for ya; others had me banging my head against the wall until—aha! But seriously, it varies. It’s that moment when you finally crack it and you’re like, “Eureka!” Still, there were times when I was smacking buttons randomly just to see what happened, retracing steps like some confused detective.
Now, if we’re honest, the controls are like Ruffy had too much coffee—super speedy but kinda clumsy on the turns. And speaking of annoying, if you mess up, the game loves sending you back—way back. Me? I’d use those hard-earned coins to buy puzzle hints instead of pumping up Ruffy’s health or getting him new outfits. Though, seeing Ruffy in a funky new costume is its own kind of joy.
Imagine swapping a cascading waterfall with sticky leaves to climb or turning ocean stone columns into bobbing wood pieces. Sounds easy? Hah! You’ll also hunt some sacred letters all across mini-areas. Trust me, doing those repetitive symbol puzzles felt like an elaborate way to stall. Fun once, dull thrice.
The world sounds giggle-inducing, with light jokes bouncing around off the cartoony soundtrack. But the game’s intro? Blah blah blah—a bit much. Cut it down, please. Yet, I loved the art—a mishmash of bright colors with quirky edges. Yeah, it’s screwy at times, but in a lovable way.
Ruffy and the Riverside is this curious mix of charming chaos and quirky obstacles. Played it on the Switch 2 and had quite a bit to uncover. Sure, puzzles might make you scratch your head, but that swapping shtick? Pretty cool twist. A little rough but worth wandering into Riverside and splashing around.
