Last Word on Gaming brings you this Penny’s Big Breakaway review for PC. This version was specifically played on the Steam Deck and was reviewed thanks to a code from the developer.
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Penny’s Big Breakaway Review – A Platformer for Platformer Fans
Title: Penny’s Big Breakaway
Developer: Evening Star, Christian Whitehead
Publisher: Private Division
Players: 1
Genre: 3D Platformer, Adventure, Exploration
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
The Platforming
This is, of course, where the game shines. The big picture platforming is excellent, the motion and physics feel very reminiscent of Mario Odyssey with the yo-yo acting as your Cappy allowing for a greater range of movement when in the air. It’s the kind of thing that gets better the more you play and master the controls.
There are issues when the game requires tighter small-scale platforming like in some of the challenge levels, I find this to be the case in a lot of indie games but especially so here with the array of movement options on display. This especially comes to the forefront in moments where the villagers ask for tasks that have a set time limit, but those are optional so I can’t hold it against the game too much.
Overall though, the platforming is really enjoyable and feels satisfying when you master the controls. There’s an option to fly through the set pieces quickly or take the time to uncover the game’s secrets which makes every level heavily replayable.
Replayability
I compared this game to Mario Odyssey earlier and that comparison is especially true in how many different things you can find in any one level. There’s 3 special collectibles and 3 villager tasks in every level. Exploring the level to try and find those is really enjoyable and offers some replay value to every level.
Another game that I was reminded of while playing this title was Sonic. The levels and controls are set up in a way that you can speed through any given level by learning and maximising your knowledge of the level.
What’s really impressive is both styles of play are able to work seamlessly with each other within Penny’s Big Breakaway. Making a game with depth to explore that can also be speedrun on a whim must be difficult and I give full credit to the developers on this one.
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Level Design
The levels were well crafted with eagle-eyed or curious players getting the most out of them and all the available gimmicks. Some of the high-paced set pieces were so well done that even I was able to string together some great combos so I can’t imagine how great they’d be if I replayed with a Sonic mentality.
On occasion, they’d take a break from the norm and add in a different idea like one level being a race, one that brought back memories of Crash Bandicoot with a lengthy boulder chase, and there were the standard level designs like space, lava, ice etc. that each brought their own unique obstacles to the game.
The best part of the levels was the distinct look they all had. The art in this title was lovely with a wide colour palette utilised and a lot of life breathed into each setting.
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Penny’s Big Breakaway Review – Last Word on Gaming Viewpoint
3D platformers with this much quality are rare nowadays. A mix of Mario Odyssey and Sonic is sure to appeal to a wide array of players. Odyssey players especially will have a great time finding out the full array of abilities the yo-yo offers. There’s enough replayability and interest on offer to make this worth the purchase.
