MOBILE GOING ON HANDHELD

It’s hard to see Kick & Fennick as a handheld game. While the PlayStation Vita is no stranger to small, independent games, everything about Jaywalkers Interactive screams App Store. From the moment the game boots up down to the very gameplay mechanics, the sleek platforming title lifts design and concepts from modern mobile titles. However, not all mobile games are made equal: does Kick & Fennick deserve to stay in your pocket?

The developer, Jaywalkers Interactive, is new to the gaming scene — comprised of only two developers who have previously created Oculus Rift demos, Kick & Fennick is their first fully-fledged game title. If that wasn’t enough pressure, this PlayStation Vita exclusive has been thrust into the limelight as one of February’s PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection titles.

The story of Kick & Fennick is as simple as it comes. Kick, a blonde-haired, wide-eyed boy with a gun (twice his size) happens upon Fennick, a robot with a broken core. Kick decides to trek the post-apocalyptic future to get to a new core, overcoming hurdles (literally) and enemies. Along the way players will travel across a nice mix of colorful and dreary landscapes that feel consistent to the atmosphere. The Pixar-esque art style, stylish soundtrack, dynamic camera system, and the mute characters instantly remind me of Wall·E; however, with no deeper plot points or exposition it is nothing but a flat, linear story.

Kick, using his enormous pulse rifle, uses the kickback to launch himself onto platforms and through walls. While pointing the gun to the ground will shoot you upwards, pointing it at walls, enemies, and switches will either destroy or trigger them. As mentioned earlier, the gameplay feels heavily inspired by similar App Store titles. While the game’s movement draws specifically from Angry Birds, the platforming elements feel akin to Mutant Mudds or Kung Fu Rabbit. Add to it the short level design, repetitive formula, optional touchscreen controls, and simple collectables, and you may forget you are not playing on an iPhone.

One of the main issues of Kick & Fennick is how long it takes for the difficulty curve to ramp up. Expect to be traversing the same mind-numbing obstacles and grabbing easy collectables in your first few hours. However, nearly halfway into the game, speed ramps, water levels, bounce pads, and intricate boss battles begin to diversify the line up. While I found the game gripping towards the end, it was a struggle to get excited early on.

Ironically, some of the end stages were almost too difficult to a fault. Relying on mastery of the launching mechanic, it wasn’t uncommon to get stuck on one or two difficult to reach ledges or timing intensive lasers. That said, with minor exceptions, the level design is intuitive and plays to the most interesting parts of the gameplay mechanics.

The Verdict: 6.7 out of 10

While I had a good time playing Kick & Fennick, it seemed baffling that the game was on the Vita instead of on mobile devices. Imagine having a PlayStation 2 quality title releasing on a PlayStation 4 — while this may have been one of the best mobile games in recent memory, it’s instead a slightly sub-par Vita release. Marred by an incredibly slow difficulty curve, repetition, and a lack of exposition, I find it very unlikely that the bland duo will receive a sequel. However, the inventive level design and smart gameplay mechanics give me high hopes for Jaywalkers Interactive’s future releases.

For more information about what the score means, check out our official review scale.

Lou Contaldi is the Executive Editor of MONG and currently in training to outrun the Zombie Apocalypse. Follow his running routine, favorite beers, and gameplay lineup on Twitter.