SANABI Review (Steam)

by Jim Smale · Published November 28, 2023 · Updated November 27, 2023

For this SANABI Review, we play an exhilarating stylish dystopian action-platformer. Play as a legendary retired veteran and use your signature prosthetic arm to jump over cliffs and skyscrapers, zip through bullets and traps, and defeat powerful enemies.

SANABI Review Pros:

Decent pixel art graphics.
Download size.
Steam achievements.
Full controller support.
Graphics settings – resolution, v-sync, fullscreen, and brightness slider.
Three difficulties – Easy, normal, and veteran. Fourth unlockable legend difficulty.
Five levels of aim assist strength.
You can re-rebind controls for both the keyboard and the controller buttons.
In-game cutscenes amd can be skipped.
Opening tutorial section.
Fast-paced platformer gameplay.
You have a hook that propels you around the level, you can do a boost when hooked to ramp up the speed.
When aiming with your hook the game will slow down which looks cool but also helps.
Multiple choice encounters.
Fantastic-looking locations and characters.
Big boss encounters.
It just feels really fluid and easy to play.
When hooking onto and swinging you can only use the boost once, but if you hit another surface then you can do another boost again and again.
The combat is a case of grabbing an enemy with your hook and pressing a button.
When ending combat or doing a damage reversal you can choose which way you go after.
It looks fantastic when you get the flow going.
Unlock a speed run mode.

SANABI Review Cons:

Minimal graphics settings.
Annoying that you cannot remove the version number from the screen.
When you are not in platforming sections the walking is very very slow.
Stop-start gameplay.
The game gets very reflex-heavy.
At the start, you get a tutorial and then after some story, you get another load of the same tutorials.
It’s a game that is exhausting to play.
Scroller parts in levels ramp it up but honestly, it makes it harder and not in a fun way.
Got stuck a few times where I would just bounce off damage-inducing platforms and enemies.
Never sure when the game has been saved or checkpointed.

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