Rolling Rampage or Puzzling Pace?
Okay, so before we begin I have a rather pedantic point to make.
Runny Bunny does indeed feature a bunny who moves like the clappers in whichever direction you order the little scamp to go, however “run” he does not. Instead, he curls up into a ball, Sonic style, and launches himself as opposed to getting the steps in. Right, I feel better now. On with the review.
Despite first looks Runny Bunny is not actually a platformer in the sense you may be expecting, oh no. Instead, it’s more puzzle focused with the bunny himself acting as the centrepiece you need to direct out of the maze. When you give the order, he will keep moving until an obstacle stops him in his tracks.
Essentially this means you just need the D-Pad to play Runny Bunny, and I found it to be more accurate than the thumbstick for controlling the furry familiar. Despite using the D-Pad to get around, when things got frantic I made a few wrong moves and paid the price. It was probably 50/50 my fault and the controller struggling to keep up, so it wasn’t a major issue but definitely a contributing factor to some frustrating deaths.
Puzzle and Peril
For the exit portal to appear, you’ll need to collect all of the power dots and carrots before you can complete the level. The path to take is usually pretty clear thanks to these, although I couldn’t see any difference between the carrots and the power dots once collected. I guess they add a little cosmetic variety at least.
Things start off pretty straightforward as you would expect, with there only being spikes to worry about. However, before long you’ll be timing your moves to avoid patrolling enemies, pressure platforms which (you guessed it) deploy spikes, mounted turrets, lasers and more. Avoid them you must because just a single touch will kill you instantly.
It’s when these hazards are combined that Runny Bunny is at its most challenging, and timing is everything. The ability to react quickly, and pre-plan your route ahead is also crucial to success too. Happily, if you die you’ll start from the beginning of that level, and not lose much progress.
Some later levels feel more difficulty because of one simple reason, they are longer. Portals naturally split them up into two or three phases, and a good memory will see you right because there isn’t a checkpoint in sight.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover there are 100 levels to master in Runny Bunny, and there is a broad difficulty curve that they adhere to. I counted three main biomes with new dangers drip fed in every few levels which kept my attention until the very last level. The action was also shaken up a little in some levels. For example, one scenario where your bunny is chased by a menacing red field, means instant death if it catches up with you.
Pixelated Precision
To the surprise of no one, Runny Bunny is fully realised in the pixel art style and looks decent enough. It seems to be the default option for these types of games and I plead, just once, try something else. Otherwise there isn’t really much more to say, it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Of course, no Eastasiasoft game would be complete without the generous Gamerscore which is handed out. As usual, this is shovelled into your account as you blast through the levels. Some are described as “bonus levels”, but there’s no evidence to suggest they are, and instead they flow with the rest as part of the 100 available.
A Solid Puzzle Platformer with Surprising Depth
I’ve played umpteen of these types of games, and will likely play many more before I hang my reviewing gloves up. However, Runny Bunny is definitely amongst the better examples, as it feels like some effort has actually been put into it rather than simply going with the bare minimum. Above all else, I enjoyed it for what it was.
Runny Bunny may not surprise or even impress you, but the combination of puzzle elements and the fact it’s a little demanding at times makes this a couple of hours of solid fun. Definitely more carrot than stick.
Important Links
Runny Bunny Hops onto Consoles: A Fast-Paced Puzzle Platformer with a Twist – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/runny-bunny—console-edition/9N6MW0HPNF63
Buy Runny Bunny on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/runny-bunny—console-edition/9N6MW0HPNF63
