Frogun Encore

Frogun Encore offers a strong and satisfying sophomore sortie for Renata and her frogun. Much like classic 3D platformer sequels such as Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back or Sly 2: Band of Thieves, it expands upon the foundation laid out by its predecessor in meaningful ways and polishes the ideas that the original release introduced. The level design is tighter, you can play with a friend, the stages are more ambitious, and this overall feels like a more confident and sure-footed adventure. It may still have some lingering issues with controls, but as far as retro 3D platformers go, Frogun Encore is close to as good as it gets.

Frogun Encore could have offered much more as a sequel. Some improvements, such as the level structure and the inclusion of a cooperative mode, were a great idea, but practically none of the previous game's mistakes were fixed; some things were even made worse, such as the camera. This, together with the month-long wait to enjoy the game with the due fix, may have scared away those who were curious to enjoy the sequel to the adventures of Renata and her little frog.

Games that rely heavily on nostalgia walk a fine line. Done the right way, they evoke games from yesteryear while also adding their own spin; done poorly, and they make you wish you were playing those other games instead. Frogun Encore, unfortunately, falls into this latter category.

A nice 3D platformer - nothing outstanding or even original, but the evening you spend with it will not be the worst. It's a shame that the fixed camera spoils the impression.

If you enjoyed the original then you'll adore FROGUN Encore, especially if you're looking for a new co-op game to play with a pal.

Frogun Encore features versatile grappling hook mechanics and local co-op for two people to have fun together. However, the brevity of the campaign and the deaths from parallax-induced falls can detract from the experience. Those who will benefit the most will be speedrun enthusiasts, willing to perfect the paths and find shortcuts in levels that seem to have been made for it.

As much as I enjoyed the moments when the game loop clicked, there were so many more points where it didn’t. If you want and need to burden your life with perfection in an imperfect scenario, be my guest, but don’t be surprised by how often you croak.