FreezeME Review

FreezeMe is a 3D platformer that was developed by and published by Rainy Night Creations, also known as RNC, and was almost completely created by just one person. Paying a huge amount of homage, in terms of style, to Super Mario 64, fans of that era will enjoy this game a lot.

The player plays as a character called ‘R’, whose dog friend, named ‘M’, was recently kidnapped by a villain called ‘Fat the Cat’. To save M, R must go on adventures all across the land, whilst collecting gold boxes. Are you feeling the Mario vibe yet? Like Mario’s gold stars, M has to find a certain amount of gold boxes on each level, with multiple levels spanning across four worlds. R has a weapon in her arsenal that makes this game individual though: a camera that freezes moving objects that she photographs. Exploring the highs and lows of R’s world is where the fun comes in to play, and while you bask in the reminiscent feel of the game, you have to work hard to complete it.

An interesting thing to note is this game does not provide you with a tutorial, instead deciding just to drop you straight in the adventure. You want to know the controls? It is up to you to read the manual to find out. The manual provides you with what you need to know, but it is completely up to the player if they take the time to read all of it. A fun throwback to ‘the good ol’ days’, which you do not realise you have been missing until you experience it again.

The control mechanics can sometimes be inconvenient, such as when you want to take a picture, R does not move an inch. Her feet are planted firmly in to the ground as if she is rooting herself, and she refuses to turn her head. Jumping in to take a picture and having to jump out when you realise you are not in exactly the right place is not very inconvenient, but it can get annoying when you are trying to get used to it at the beginning. But, hey, you have just got to take that sort of thing in stride and the game is so enjoyable, you just move past it instead of complaining about it. Another comparison to Mario is whilst Mario is light as a feather, jumping twice the size of his height, R has some weight to her, which makes her movements feel less fluid. But, this is just another thing that you get used to as you play.

The soundtrack is upbeat and bright, matching the style of the game. Even when you have to go back to worlds to collect cubes for different missions, the music never loses its charm. The graphics are not particularly outstanding, but the levels are nice and colourful, as you would expect with a game like this.

FreezeMe would be appealing to both children and adults. The objectives are straightforward, and the levels vary between being easy and hard, but not hard enough that you feel the need to rage quit at any point. Where are child might need help getting through a level, an adult would still face a challenge, but not one that could not be overcome. The large audience appeal makes me wonder why more people do not have this game, as it seems to be a hidden gem in the gaming world.

A game that invokes nostalgia is one that we can all look fondly on, and FreezeMe incorporates some of its own style in, making this game feel like a new adventure. Perhaps too much Mario 64 can be felt in this game, which kind of holds the game back from going in to its own realm of fun, but it does not stop the player from experiencing a joyful adventure.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Nintendo Wii U code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.