Ruffy and the Riverside Critique – An Evaluation

Man, where do I even start with “Ruffy and the Riverside”? Okay, picture this: a 3D action-adventure bursting with places to wander and puzzles that’ll twist your brain. You play as Ruffy, this bear who seriously, looks like they wandered out of a Star Wars set. Think Ewok but with an attitude. Ruffy’s got this cool power to mix up his surroundings, and that’s half the fun — though honestly, the game has its share of “ugh” moments.

Ruffy’s world, Riverside, is under threat from, of all things, an evil cube. Why a cube? Beats me. Anyway, it’s Ruffy’s job to go all hero mode, collect some magical letters, and thwart this geometric menace. The setup kinda reminds me of Super Mario 64 — there’s a big hub area with smaller spots to dive into. Along the journey, you meet a bunch of quirky folks and take on weird challenges. Those ladders, though… climbing them is like trying to perfectly slice bread, you gotta nail it just right.

Most of the game is about Ruffy absorbing stuff and swapping it out for other stuff. Sometimes you’ll breeze through, and other times you’ll be banging your head against the wall. I mean, one second, you’re high-fiving yourself for solving a puzzle, and the next, you’re just smacking everything in sight hoping to trigger something. When it clicks, you’re golden. But let’s face it, sometimes it just doesn’t.

Controls… well, Ruffy’s speedy but not always graceful. You’ll be jumping around a lot, and it’s tricky! And those checkpoints can be wicked annoying, sending you way back. Coins? Sure, buy some heart containers or dress Ruffy up. I preferred burning them on puzzle hints just to keep the game moving.

Speaking of puzzles, there are some real head-scratchers. Swap waterfall water with leaves or switch stone pillars to wood. Sounds simple, right? Until you hit repetitive challenges, like symbol matching, again and again. Feels like busywork sometimes, honestly.

The music and sound effects are just plain fun, matching Ruffy’s goofy design — he even dances! Visually, it’s like a colorful cartoon come to life, all bright and sharp. But, uh, the tutorial could use a trim. Talks too much if you ask me.

Despite the hiccups and jank, Ruffy’s charm shines through. Played it on Switch 2, packed with content for all you completionists out there. Some puzzles might drive you up the wall, but that swapping mechanic is pure joy when you nail it. Might be rough around the edges, but I didn’t mind getting my feet wet in this Riverside.