Back in the early 2000s, you couldn’t move for platformers. There were Tasmanian devils, gecko secret agents, bear mechanics, spiky yellow-headed aliens with doggy friends, and a dragon. The choice was immense, and every platformer seemed to push the boundaries of what was possible.
Then, with the advent of the new consoles, they stopped making these games, apart from Nintendo, of course.
The newer consoles went for more serious worlds and storylines. Akimbot feels like a game straight out of the golden era of platformers. It’s a place with heavy Ratchet and Clank vibes but also does its own thing and has its own story. Let’s find out more.
You play two robots in Akimbot, and in the beginning, they are transported as prisoners in the back of a spaceship. They are both strangers, but the odd couple are quickly pushed together to help each other escape. The one you control, who’s like a soldier type of bot, is called Exe, and the joker of the pack, is a floating robot called Shipset. Like every buddy movie, the couple hate each other at first but finds out that they work well together as they go on an adventure of survival, escape, and then fighting Evilwear, the main baddie.
The writing has the charm and the bravado of those early platformer games from that time. It has a very family-friendly cartoon feel to the dialogue and writing, which works well. Shipset takes a while to get used to and is a bit like Claptrap on steroids.
The gameplay doesn’t do anything amazingly surprising, but everything it does, it does well. You have the normal jumping and running. You then have, on top of that, wall running, jumping quickly from level to level, and a grapple hook. There’s a melee attack with a sword to make the most of, but also access to some gunplay for the combat. Here, you access, as you progress, a whole range of weapons, from the machine gun to the sniper rifle. Ammunition isn’t a given, and you have to keep an eye on it. Also, there is an upgrade system to get more power in your guns.
But apart from traversing on the ground, you also get to partake in other activities, like a bit of driving in buggies and some space combat. I do think, for an older gamer like me, the tone does get tiresome in places, but I think for a younger market and family, Akimbot will be seen as a great platformer. Personally, there are a few too many bits in this that could have been ripped out, like the hacking minigames and the small bit of stealth gameplay.
Visually, the game is impressive, especially considering it’s from a small development team. Robot design is good with the main two characters, and I loved exploring the different environments and seeing the world-building on show. There are a couple of lovely touches too; for example, early on in the game, you stumble across a robot party with a DJ.
Soundwise, it has a great score that took me back to the early 2000s again, full of life and vigor in the action set pieces. The voice work is like a Saturday morning cartoon and aimed at a younger audience, so for my older ears, it became a bit much.
Akimbot is a game that harks back to those glory days of platforming golden years. It’s a homage to games of years gone by, keeping the spirit alive with the gameplay and family-friendly storytelling. The action is fast and furious, but it’s not afraid to slow down at times too; what with some hacking and stealth. Apart from that, Akimbot is an enjoyable romp in a robot world that should well appeal to many.
Akimbot Unleashed: Robots, Explosions and Mayhem on Xbox Series, PS5 and PC! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/akimbot-unleashed-robots-explosions-and-mayhem-on-xbox-series-ps5-and-pc/
Hold on to your circuits – Akimbot gets demo and release date! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/hold-on-to-your-circuits-akimbot-gets-demo-and-release-date/
Buy Akimbot now – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/akimbot/9PJ9MGL5HM9J
