Hirogami Review: A Visually Stunning but Frustrating Platformer

Unfolding Challenges: The Beautiful Yet Baffling World of Hirogami

A Glimpse into the Artistic Craftsmanship of Hirogami's Universe

Hirogami presents an extraordinary visual experience, immediately standing out with its stunning paper-inspired design. The game immerses players in a world where everything, from characters to environmental elements like trees and toadstools, appears meticulously crafted from folded paper. This artistic choice extends to the central hub, designed as an open notebook, further enhancing the cohesive and enchanting aesthetic.

The Transformative Journey of Hiro: Mastering Unique Abilities

As the protagonist, Hiro embarks on a quest to defend his paper realm from encroaching digital entities. Initially equipped with only a fan, Hiro gradually acquires animal transformations—armadillo, frog, and ape—each unlocking distinct movement and combat capabilities. These transformations add layers of strategic depth, allowing players to adapt to various challenges and explore diverse platforming approaches.

Combat Dynamics: Strategic Choices and Repetitive Encounters

The combat system in Hirogami leverages Hiro's transformations, offering varied methods for engaging enemies. While early game strategies, such as the armadillo's rolling attack or the frog's ground pound, prove effective, the necessity for diverse tactics diminishes as players progress. This often leads to a reliance on a few dominant approaches, occasionally making combat feel less dynamic despite the intriguing rock-paper-scissors elements.

Navigating Obstacles: The Frustrations of Fixed Perspectives

Despite its visual allure, Hirogami's fixed camera angles often impede the platforming experience. Accurately judging distances and identifying gaps becomes a challenge, as the camera does not always provide an optimal view. This design choice can lead to missteps and unintended falls, detracting from the precision typically required in platformer genres. Even simple navigation, like gliding as a flat piece of paper, demands reliance on shadows to anticipate landing spots.

The Grind for Progress: Reaching the Late Game Hurdles

A significant hurdle in Hirogami emerges in the later stages, where access to certain levels is gated by the collection of golden cranes. These cranes are earned by completing specific objectives, which can include demanding tasks like speedruns or maintaining high health throughout a level. This requirement can force players to retrace their steps and replay earlier sections, potentially leading to frustration and a sense of repetitive grind, rather than organic progression.

Balancing Innovation and Execution: Hirogami's Unfulfilled Potential

Hirogami is rich with creative concepts and a captivating art style. However, the game's execution often falls short, with gameplay mechanics like the fixed camera and occasionally monotonous combat creating noticeable friction. While the core ideas are strong, their implementation introduces "creases" that prevent Hirogami from fully realizing its potential as a seamless and thoroughly enjoyable adventure.