Ever since Paper Mario released back on the Nintendo 64, we’ve had all sorts of games where everything is made of various crafting materials. From Kirby’s Epic Yarn to Tearaway, every time a video game adopts an art style featuring real world materials it seriously delights me. PaperKlay is a 3D platformer which features worlds made out of cardboard and plasticine, and it’s as entertaining as it is pretty.
Our protagonists in PaperKlay are Chick and Nugget, who are besties that live a seriously relaxing life. Chick is bored of this chilled out existence, so when a villain shows up he jumps at the chance to be a hero. Only by stomping through a whole load of platforming stages and collecting lost eggs will this duo be able to save the day, so let’s stop yapping and start jumping already.
The larger chicken based character Chick is who you’ll play as for most of PaperKlay, and he has access to a whole host of moves to help you navigate cardboard cliffs from the start of the game. Chick can double jump, use a glider to soar through the air, and do a little horizontal dive to move around faster. When enemies come a calling he can also use a spin attack to take them out, or even a ground pound if that’s more suitable. It’s a nice move set that lends itself perfectly for exploring a variety of paper craft stages, and more importantly gathering a whole lot of collectibles.
The various themed stages of PaperKlay are for the most part pretty linear, but that doesn’t mean they don’t feature a whole load of different collectibles to gather. Buttons are the most common of these, with hundreds in each level which you’ll need to collect to perfect it. There are also orbs which help you unlock new stages, and those all important eggs which help you access later worlds. Expect branching paths featuring loads of easy to miss collectibles, as well as corners and camera angles being used to conceal these precious doodads. It’s just what all of us 3D platformer fans desire from a game like this, with the added bonus of all the collectibles being important.
Whereas orbs and eggs simply help you progress in the game, buttons are a currency you’ll use for upgrades. There’s a nice selection of six of these you can find in the pause menu, all of which are really useful. Whether you want more health, your spin attack to give you a bit of a vertical boost or to ensure your glider doesn’t drop as fast, you’ll never feel disappointed after splashing out on an upgrade. If you value style over substance though you can also spend buttons on new outfits for our heroes, like a lovely puffer jacket that will suit the ice world perfectly. Eventually you’ll be able to afford everything though, so don’t get too worried about these tricky financial decisions.
There’s a nice amount of variety throughout PaperKlay, which made it tough to put down for me. Each world features a stage where you’ll control Nugget for example, which is almost like a Captain Toad level with no jumping. There are also tough bonus levels to unlock and boss fights, which mix things up even more. Even the theming of stages is lovely and varied, with different hazards to deal with alongside a totally different vibe.
I’ve already mentioned the visuals of PaperKlay, but I’d be doing the game a disservice if I didn’t also give a shout-out to the audio. These are catchy platforming tunes at their finest, and the soundtrack even includes a main theme from Grant Kirkhope and Steve Melin. The music is exactly what I want from a game in this glorious genre, and that’s rather high praise from someone who doesn’t often latch onto music in his games.
There’s a whole lot to love about PaperKlay, but I must admit it also has some flaws that hold it back somewhat. The controls feel very slightly off, and I think I identified the issue as being that you can’t double jump until you reach the peak of your first jump. The game isn’t particularly difficult so it doesn’t cause lots of deaths or anything, but it’s not ideal.
There are also some enemies that are tough to hit because of how short ranged your spin attack is, especially the bastard flying scissors. The level design means you never really know which direction is the right way and which just houses collectibles too, and this too often means backtracking back and forth a few more times than needed. All the issues with PaperKlay are mildly annoying, but they add up.
PaperKlay is a charming and beautiful 3D platformer, with a nice amount of variety and plenty of bits and bobs to collect. It’s a fairly easy going experience that doesn’t demand too much of the player, but one that also gives you that delightful dopamine hit when you find all the collectibles in a stage. It has a few small issues that hold it back from being an all timer, but PaperKlay will delight platforming fans looking for a way to unwind.