1. Snake Pass is a platformer where you play as a snake named Noodles. Snakes can't jump so this is kind of a weird fit for a genre that revolves around jumping but, hey, they make it work so good for them.
2. You actually do the one action that is far from jumping as possible: you slither. You hold down a button to go forward but that only gets you started. You need to wiggle back and forth to maintain forward momentum. In place of jumping, you can climb over conveniently placed bamboo poles scattered throughout each level. It's good times for real and something that has never been done before in any noteworthy game that I can think of.
3. This obviously draws influence from the first generation of 3D collect-a-thon platformers in the nineties. Your task is basically to use your slithery platforming skills to collect a few items from across the level and return them to a particular location. There's a bunch of optional collectables you can pick up as well.
4, I don't know about you people but when I play a game of this sort, I live in constant fear that at some point the game is going to be like, "Oh, you poor, hapless nerd. You thought those collectables were optional? Go back and replay the first few levels for a couple more hours." At which point, I put the game down and play something that doesn't suck. Thankfully, Snake Pass does not do this. The extra items that are in there for a bit of extra challenge are in there just for a bit of extra challenge. This seems reasonable to me.
5. Typically, Snake Pass thoughtfully includes checkpoints relatively near some of its most difficult challenges, which encourages you to at least give them a try because dying on them doesn't set you back much. Every now and then, there will be an easy section you will have to replay over and over to get to the tough spots but those are relatively rare.
6. This has the colorful, cheerful presentation you'd expect for a game that obviously has a heavy 90s platforming influence. These graphics are, of course, much better than a twenty year old console though. Everything is bright and crisp. I found myself going out of my way occasionally just to get a cool view--and I almost never do things like that when gaming.
7, Speaking of your view though, the low-to-the ground perspective of a snake seems to be somewhat at odds w/ the way the camera works here. This was not always good for my blood pressure. *shakes cane*
8. Also bad for my blood pressure: you can hold the button that makes you go forward the whole time you respawn and you still go forward but holding the button that makes your head lift up and allows you to cross short gaps must be pressed again once you are moving. I fell off the edges of cliffs like ten thousand times an hour because of this. No exaggeration.
9. There is some sort of plot here, I think, but my eyes glazed over for it because it didn't seem important. You've got to collect stuff to stop something bad from happening or something like that. I dunno. End of the day, it's an excuse for you to cruise through Snake Pass's fifteen levels, see some pretty stuff and slither up bamboo polls.
10. I feel about the same about the music. I mean, it is fine. It's there. I like it but I never really had a moment where I felt like it was essential to the experience.
11. If there is real a problem w/ Snake Pass's presentation it's that it doesn't change all too much as you progress. Each of its four worlds are themed but I struggle to remember those themes were. There just wasn't enough different between the worlds to differentiate them.
12. The gameplay doesn't progress all that much either. Later levels add hazards so that when you fail a challenge, you die rather than fall to the ground but because of the frequent check points, there is really not that much difference in that. Some moving parts eventually add a timing challenge--which was indeed difficult from time to time--but I thought these were a bit at odds w/ Snake Pass's overall relaxing and slower-paced play style.
13. My complaints about this game are significant enough I can't ignore them but they are ultimately niggles compared to the overall experience. In recent years there's been quite a few retro-inflected 3D platformers that have gotten significant attention but most have just been better or worse rehashes of the same old thing. Snake Pass builds something familiar but uses a truly unique mechanic. If you have any interest in game design--mine is frankly only casual--this is something you simply must try for yourself.
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