Tinykin: An extremely casual game that has fun controls and an interesting world... Early opinion

in Hive Gaming4 days ago

This game kind of brings me back to the days of playing the N64 with Super Mario World I believe it was called only we have much greater graphical capabilities. It also introduces elements of a game not very many people played called Pikmin that was a lot of fun on the GameCube. The only reason why I discovered this was because I was searching through the free games that we get every month on PS-Plus Extra and this just happened to be one of them.


src

In this game you take control of Milo, who is meant to be a researcher and archeologist from a distant planet. This game takes place not in a fantasy world but inside what appears to be the home of humans who aren't there at the time. I haven't played a great deal of this game yet but so far it has been very easy to understand and you can pick up the controls right away. There is very little strategy involved in this game and it is more a game of exploration inside of a home when you are the size of an insect or small mouse and this is a pretty fun perspective in my mind.


src

Each of the levels have some sort of fantasy name but really, all they are is a random room in someone's house. The level that is meant to be the jungle level of sorts is merely a level that involves a semi-broken sent of aquariums. Other levels involve you running around various parts of the kitchen to collect ingredients to make a cake for some reason. Whatever, the story really, honestly, is not important at all because it is clear they are just being silly throughout the entire thing.


src

You will encounter and collect these little creatures that are called "tinykin" as you progress and certain parts of each level cannot be done until you have a certain amount of them. Red ones can be thrown to explode and break open certain obstacles, green ones can be stacked and used as a ladder to get to higher areas, blue ones conduct electricity which is necessary in later levels, pink ones can be assigned to carry things for you, and yellow ones can be stacked to make sturdy platforms to move objects from one place in the area to another.

All of these things that need to be done, outside of the ones that are hidden quite well, are very obvious and not in any way difficult. This will bore the extreme players out there that need something like Darksouls to keep them entertained but for me, this was an exceptional game to play when you just want to chill and do something that isn't going to be frustrating especially when you are waiting for your prescription glasses to be completed at the optician.


src

I feel as though I am pretty close to completing the game after a few hours and thus far there have been no battles of any sort and every creature you encounter seems to be harmless.

Nothing in this game is difficult and honestly, I am glad to see this every now and then. Sometimes I want a challenge, other times I just enjoy a simple game with some good 3D graphics. This also brings me back to a time when something like this would have been impossible with the tech that we had in say, the 90s or early 2000's but a game like this could have been released back then but it just wouldn't have looked as "crisp."


src

The tinykin creatures themselves are quite funny. They just make silly sounds and follow you everywhere. When they march and are carrying something they make these grunting noises like little baby soldiers and the sound effects might have been inspired by the minions from the "Despicable Me" films. I thought it was adorable and really wanted to find everything I could in each level.

I suppose if I was going to say anything negative about it thus far is that some of the camera angles make the platforming a bit tough and a fall can result in some necessary and rather time-consuming backtracking. I know that when I was falling I was hoping to fall far enough that it would "kill" me so I could be warped back up to where I fell from. Falling to a distant area below you that doesn't kill you, that can be a bit frustrating. But honestly, if that is the only problem that I have with the game that isn't enough to tell anyone to stay away.

I feel as though this game can be enjoyed by anyone and if you have kids they will no doubt be amused by the little guys that are following you around constantly. If you have a PS-Plus membership you get this game for free anyway so you may as well give it a go. If you have to pay for it I wouldn't spend more than say, $5 for it, because the entire game appears as though it can be completed in a couple hours and maybe 100%'d in about 5.