Review: Full Bore

A block puzzler with an exploratory twist, Full Bore throws the player into an open world filled with crumbling mines, arcane ruins, and technological wonders with only curiosity to lead the way. This world is packed to the brim with secrets and hidden rooms, because when everything is made of blocks, puzzles could be anywhere.

Pros:

• 360 controller support.
• Retro graphics with a HD feel about them. Scenery and backgrounds are very polished and smooth, While characters in game are pixelated and old school.
• Tutorials in game come via handy pop up icons. Clear and precise, They do not interrupt the gameplay and only stay on screen as long as they are needed.
• The game is a platformer with an emphasis on puzzles. Has a whiff of other games within it. I got Boulderdash vibes from it with a bit of Steamworld Dig.(newer game but still)
• You play a bore that can break blocks,ground and crates with his tusks. You have many moves at your disposal such as running and clearing a line of blocks quickly and easily. Another move available to you is the ground pound. Use this move to break softer ground within the level. Usually used to trigger blocks falling somewhere else on screen.
• Checkpoints are littered everywhere and you have a restart button ala Little Big Planet where you can kill yourself and spawn back at the checkpoint. Reaching a checkpoint treats you to a funny little animation where by your character gets a short but funny zapping by the electronic checkpoint.
• Detailed map with legend available. Here you can see where doorways lead. Fill the map in with names and locations as you discover them. You can zoom in and out of the map.
• Explore vast caves with not many limitations. Find hidden doorways and shortcuts as you look to find all the hidden gems in each of the levels. You do have quite a lot of freedom in the order in which you attack the game.
• Once the controls are learnt, They are fast and responsive, Even more so when using the controller.
• You can control the camera to pan all around the area of the screen, Especially useful when drops are in front of you. Or when you are trying to track down those gems.
• Slick character animations, Aside from the funny checkpoint ones, Running and jumping looks excellent and really flows as you jump from ledge to ledge.
• Restarting at check points also resets the level, meaning blocks all return to their original position/state. This is a god send when the puzzles get a lot harder in future levels.
• Story gets quite engrossing and you soon find yourself playing for longer periods as you want to know what happens next.
• NPC characters are fun to be around and all have a unique charm.You enjoy interacting with them.
• Stat screen detailing everything you do in game. From rooms discovered to time played. The screen can be accessed at any time.

Cons:

• Map even when zoomed in is still really small. Making out little blocks is a nightmare and eye strain is common.
• The lack of jump button will throw a lot of people at first, This is why the controls will feel a bit alien at first and require you to put some time into them.
• Minimal video settings, Only V-Sync on/off and full screen await you in this setting.
• Music will not be to everyone’s taste, Going for a more guitar heavy soundtrack, The game soon loops all the songs meaning you will get sick of the same song over and over.
• Due to the freedom in game, You will find yourself getting lost a lot. Coupled with the map issues, Navigation and fun start to diminish.
• Controller is oversensitive, Using the sticks for movement usually results in you over shooting a ledge or missing a critical jump.
• The game assumes you know the game/controls inside and out and at times, Actually has you feeling frustrated and lost.
• Races are scattered through the game and are necessary in order to complete levels. These are not very forgiving at all, sometimes giving you new mechanics not yet seen. Or the screen wont scroll fast enough or the classic of not knowing what to do or where to go.

In summary, The game is fun and takes a lot of elements from other games and does a good job of combining them together. The music annoys but if you can look past that and invest some time in it, It is rewarding and like I say the story is good, Slow at first but starts to ramp up. The game does look good and uses a controller so it may well appeal to the more casual gamer. I had fun with this title but the races really pushed y patience a few times and had me leaving the game alone for long periods.