Action Henk stands out from the crowd at first glance. Its stylistic graphics and precision platforming make for an interesting pitch and it certainly doesn’t look like your typical indie game; it features a sense of style that would make you think that the studio behind it had been in the industry for years.
If you’ve ever played Doritos Crash Course – the game that came out for free (twice!) on the Xbox 360 – then you know what Action Henk is all about. For those of you unfamiliar with the premise, it’s a platformer where you play as Henk, an action figure from a toy set, who needs to traverse obstacle courses made out of other toys as quickly as possible. Your progression depends on medals earned on each stage, with each stage becoming increasingly more difficult as time goes on. Eventually, new mechanics other than sliding and running are introduced, like a sticky plunger gun that allows Henk to traverse large gaps in the stage by swinging across ceilings.
For a game with a simple premise like that, Action Henk attempts to differentiate itself through its course design, something that the team over at RageSquid have managed to do with relative success. Courses are both annoyingly frustrating and addictively replayable – I found myself replaying some levels dozens of times just to ensure I achieved a gold medal. Some levels take the imagination of being a kid in a playroom and run with it, with “the floor is lava” game mechanic changing the visuals sharply, for example. Overall, Action Henk definitely has personality – one that screams for you to take it seriously in the face of bigger studios and projects like the Trials series. The unique view and style of the characters, as well as the environment, allows RageSquid brilliant freedom in such a constrained space such as a child’s room.
This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – Doritos Crash Course Grows Up in Action Henk – Preview
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