Ruffy and the Riverside Review: An Evaluation

Sure, let’s dive into this mess of thoughts and impressions about Ruffy and the Riverside. Honestly, where to even begin with this? Here’s the thing: you’re this little bear—Ruffy—who’s kind of like a furry Jedi Ewok, but you’re on this mission in an open world. I kept thinking, “Why is everything so… whimsically chaotic?” Anyway, you’re hopping around collecting stuff, changing the scenery, and it’s bizarrely fun. Yet, sometimes, it’s like trying to untangle Christmas lights in July. Frustrating, but in a way that keeps you hanging on.

So, here’s the plot in a nutshell: A creepy cube threatens Ruffy’s world and, of course, only Ruffy can save the day by collecting letters (yes, letters) to kickstart some world-saving core. It’s like being in Super Mario 64, except Ruffy’s castle hub takes you to all these compact zones—filled with zany folks and mind-bending puzzles. Oh, and those ladders! Seriously, they’ve got a mind of their own. One wrong step and you’re sliding back down, face-first, into madness.

Now, Ruffy’s got this neat party trick: absorbing and swapping things around. Imagine trading a waterfall for some climbing vines. Talk about mind-blowing… or mildly confusing, depending on your mood. But, solving these puzzles? It’s like that “Eureka!” moment after hunting for lost keys. Except, when you don’t click with it (which happened to me more than I’d like to admit), well, it’s a “throw the controller and yell at the screen” kind of deal.

Controlling Ruffy is another adventure: he zooms around like he’s eaten too much candy, but steering him is like trying to ride a unicycle on a tightrope. Don’t even get me started on those checkpoints—you’ll be so far back, you’ll think you’ve traveled through time. Made me want to hurl a coin or two (which you can actually do, to buy your way out of puzzles). Handy, but kind of feels like cheating? Or is it clever resource management? I still can’t decide.

And the puzzles themselves? Well, imagine swapping stone pillars with wooden planks to make stepping stones. Genius! Until you find yourself doing the same memory match challenge thrice. Busywork much? But then, the waterfalls sing to you with their sound effects, and Ruffy’s little dances make it impossible not to smile.

Visually? It’s a quirky watercolor painting sprung to life—a festival of colors and sharp lines. The game’s humor whispers through the script, although, a bit long-winded at intro—could’ve used a trim.

Despite some rough patches (Ruffy pun intended), it’s a world I kind of didn’t want to leave—if just for the comedy of errors that it sometimes is. And on Switch 2, where I dabbled, Ruffy shines. Not perfect, not by a long shot, but charming in its own right. Just, next time, maybe fewer ladders to nowhere? Please and thanks.