"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."
I'm friends with a few of the guys from Breakfall and wanted to let you all know that their first big release, Marvin's Mittens is now available to purchase on Desura. I was lucky enough to be given a press copy of the game, so you can read on for my thoughts on what the game has to offer.
I don't know what it was like being a kid for the rest of you, but for me, it involved a lot of exploration. I would spend hours every day wandering my neighbourhood, the nearby forest or taking my bike down to the river in search of something new. That sense of wandering ever farther from home and discovering new places you didn't even know were right around the corner is exactly what Marvin's Mittens gets so right.
At its core, it's a simple platform game with the main objective being to wander in search of snow flakes. Unlike the millions of coins you may have gathered in most games of its ilk, the snow flakes in Marvin's Mittens have a very real effect on gameplay as they grant you the ability to soar ever higher when jumping. The more snow flakes you collect, the higher you can go and the more you can discover. It all happens so subtly too, so naturally, that the sense of empowerment you gain from it feels real and intrinsic in a way a "level up" message just can't.
Venturing ever farther from home presents you with new gameplay elements and new things to see. Everything about the game evokes this childish sense of discovery. From sketching animals I found while exploring, to discovering new areas in levels I thought I had fully explored, I don't think I've ever played a game that quite wholly awakened such nostalgia in me. I mean, c'mon, you end each day by watching Marvin sleep, dreaming of all the wonderful things he's discovered so far. I have to say, it all feels pretty magical.
Oh, and the game looks and sounds great. Graphically, it evokes a children's book while the sound track, courtesy of Mike Keogh, gives the game just the right ambiance to help transport you back to a time when you just couldn't wait to pull on your boots and hit the slopes on your favourite tobogan. Check out the trailer below for a taste, and hit up the website for more info and a look at what the critics have been saying. While you're there, hit the Steam Greenlight link to help get the game to even more gamers.
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