Review – Hirogami – Gamerview

It was presented recently, and it is undeniable that its artistic style draws attention from the first moment. Seeing origami characters unfolding into animals with different skills, in a world that resembles a diorama, is charming and arouses curiosity about what more this art can offer.

Produced by a small team inside Bandai Namco, this is a 3D platform game that could go unnoticed amid so many releases, but it would be a big mistake to ignore it. Hirogami plays with the look inspired by the Japanese art of Origami to bring creative mechanics and promote a charming, simple experience at first sight, but worthy of a good platform game.

Fold and unfold

The leaves that shape this paper world are suffering a technological threat called scourge. Failures and interference created thorns everywhere, blocked the sanctuaries of the heavenly heron, corrupted the inhabitants and threaten to destroy this artistic world. It is with Hiro, a folding craftsman, that you will travel in various places to restore sanctuaries and release everyone from this evil.

Hiro, despite being a talented craftsman, is far from being a warrior. Insecure, he himself asks whether he deserves the confidence he received. But the journey will show the opposite just: with each transformation and skill conquered, we find that it is much stronger than you believe.

Hirogami allows you to turn into four origami animals, each with distinct attacks and skills. The armadillo makes it possible to roll rapidly, destroying objects and enemies around. Over time, new skills are unlocked for their transformations, such as jumping and even rolling in flames. The frog can spit a mesma that slows enemies and obstacles, as well as making higher jumps and attacking enemies by jumping over their heads.

The gorilla is capable of destroying resistant objects, dragging boxes, climbing and jumping between vines. It is not an experience like in, but it is really satisfactory to see the details of the origami and the ease of alternating between transformations. Finally, you can also become a bird, which when accelerating the flight takes the shape of a little paper plane, only this last animal appears at specific times. It introduces simple 3D “navinha” mechanics, with shots, deviations and item collection.

In addition, Hiro can also unfold on a sheet of paper to pass through gaps or planar between platforms, taking advantage of air and vapors. It is a simple but extremely functional mechanics – in many moments, while planted, it was inevitable only to contemplate art and the scenario.

The voup of the hirogami range

In the original form, Hiro is also versatile and can use his sacred range to attack enemies, create gusts of wind or perform a sacred dance that, associated with collected papers, restoration structures and shrines. Over time the fan also gains more powerful skills. – You may even help in the next shows in Rio de Janeiro.

The alternation between transformations is agile and was designed to test your creativity and agility in puzzles. Many challenges require quick folding combinations to overcome obstacles, providing fun moments that show how mechanics fit well on platforms.

Although Hirogami is not a difficult game, there are challenges and heels that will ask for some attention, the stages are generally balanced and always a lot of fun. With so many upgrades, there will be no reason to rejoice levels: you will want to revisit areas as soon as you unlock new skills, remembering places where you could use them, for example.

Each phase has six different goals that may include collecting papers, restoring corrupted origamis, completing the level without receiving damage or within a time limit. The reward is the golden herons, as well as items that allow you to unlock phases and forge ornaments to improve Hiro’s health and strength.

In addition, there are many secret passages with chests that keep relics for diagrams of improvement, arts and music in the game gallery. But it is not enough to find them, you will need to collect special papers to completely release them, so be sure to gather all the leaves and be aware of the forks.

A handcrafted work

It is noteworthy that this project was born from one that allows small teams to develop their own games. Thus, professionals who previously worked on titles like Tekken and Ace Combat joined exclusively to create Hirogami. The result is a game that, even smaller in scope, stands out for its creativity and affection in every detail.

Art direction is one of the highlights: Stop-motion animations are full of personality, and the light and relaxing soundtrack reinforces the atmosphere inspired by Japanese culture. At times it may sound repetitive, but overall it supports the experience well and combines with visual contemplation, almost like a game poetry.

Despite the artistic whim, the enemies do not impress so much that most are spheres with variations (thorns, shields, projectiles), as well as corrupted inhabitants. I also noticed small locking and collision flaws, which sometimes even allowed unwanted shortcuts. They were punctual situations, but it is worth mentioning.

Hirogami draws attention for his artisanal look, his creative transformations and the charm of his simplicity. Perhaps the history and variety of enemies are not memorable, but Hiro’s journey is full of charming moments. He may not believe himself, but his adventure proves otherwise: Hirogami is a work of art that can still offer fun challenges on his paper platforms and therefore deserves to be appreciated.