Pronty: Fishy Adventure

You can’t argue with the sheer popularity of Metroidvania style games. You might think that they are tired and milked dry as a concept. But when you see the masses of games that are made with this timeless format, you begin to realise that this is what people want and who are we to deny them such a thing. Well, what about a style of game like this which is set completely underwater? Well, you would probably be talking about the upcoming title, Pronty: A Fishy Adventure.

This game plays like other Metroidvania style games such as Metroid Prime, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Hollow Knight and also other underwater sections of games like Super Mario Bros. or Crash Bandicoot. This game aims to offer fun combat, a killer story and a whole game that is the underwater level. However, is that palatable in a Metroidvania style game? We find out in our review of Pronty: A Fishy Adventure.

Something Smells Fishy!

Okay, so let’s begin with the visuals here. When you have to compete with games that are visual spectacles like the Ori series, you have to hit your mark and thankfully, Pronty does that pretty well. The animations are clean, the environments are varied and interesting, with a variety of new enemies to take on, new underwater biomes to explore and killer monsters to take down along the way. We thought that an underwater setting would limit the artistic scope of this game but the developers have done something special here.

Then as for gameplay, it takes a leaf out of modern MV style titles and runs with it. It’s very in line with Hollow Knight in this respect. The combat is harsh but fair, everything moves at a fast pace and the bosses in each section provide the real challenge for the player. Whereas outside of battle its all about solving puzzles, gaining powerups and exploring this new world. It’s quintessential Metroidvania gaming and we are here for it.

Then lastly, you have the story for this game. It’s where the game really lets itself down. The game pushes a story that justifies the new monsters in Royla through a narrative about pollution and waste. It’s low hanging fruit and it only serves to push the player on their way to fight the baddies. It lacks any form of nuance or unique qualities and it’s a little disappointing.

The Verdict

We are suckers for a well made and fun MV style game and this one looks very promising. The combat is tight and varied, the visuals are sublime, the enemies and bosses prove to be quite a formidable test and the exploration is very rewarding. The only disappointment was the story which was far too predictable and underdeveloped for our liking.

Pros

• Visuals are stunning
• Setting works well
• Combat and other gameplay aspects are fun and varied

Cons

• Story is predictable and underwhelming