She Remembered Caterpillars – Review (Switch)
There is something very good about She Remembered Caterpillars. Not great, and in many areas quite a bit lacking, but in the ways that count it maintains that feeling. The puzzle game is based on a singular premise, get these little Gammies onto the pale white lily-pads to ascend higher up each level of an environment that is half Alice in Wonderland and half Supergiant Games. The level designs and the puzzles they hold will run the gambit. The game itself is not very long, and what felt like a complex puzzle will unfold into a sequence of movements that will have seemed obvious in retrospect.
The story begins vague, with pieces of writing forming a narration that feels disconnected from what’s actually occurring in game. This beginning is likely the crux of its weakness, as the puzzles are a bit tedious and the narrative lost, and it’s very introspective without any textures of background and details to make it feel impactful. But as the narrative curtain is slowly pulled away the sense of romanticism begins to rise to the surface. The narrative portions become engaging, enticing a desire for completion. Once deep into the narrative to have a fuller understanding, the game feels like it has more in common That Dragon, Cancer than other puzzle games.
The gameplay is straight forward – maneuver different Gammies designated by their colors and shapes. Different sections of the levels are tied together with color coded bridges, barriers, and even retractable platforms that require stationary Gammies to stand on their activation switches. This continues with color matching, combining red, blue, and yellow gammies into their color combined variants, and overcoming a fantastical environment.
She Remembered Caterpillars is a port from its PC version, and unfortunately the controls feel a bit looser than would be expected. While it was never jarring, there were multiple moments where the sensitivity of movement between different obstacles, the game’s largest strength in its ability to challenge the player, only got in the way. Its amount of levels, while numerous with more than forty, take between five to seven hours to beat (ten if you’re as bad as I am at puzzle games).
But where it hits its stride is in the atmosphere and its music, as the world is vibrant with color, with quirky Gammies hustling at your command, and a pleasant and relaxing soundtrack to try the puzzles over and over again. There were several points where I found myself frustrated, only to be lulled back into another go at it. This is all because of the enchanting siren’s call that is the soundtrack. While it doesn’t have variety, it does evoke a sense of wonder and detachment from the world around you.
Overall, while short, the compelling nature of She Remembered Caterpillars more than makes up for this shortcoming. It offers enough of a challenge to stump you into working to decipher the puzzles, while not punishing you for your attempts. Outside of a lackluster introduction, it pays off by the back end of the game in telling an endearing story of love, loss, and the determination on not giving up on those you love, all while avoiding a tired out narrative medium. While not fantastic, and not even for everyone, this small game has enough to leave you satisfied if you are in the mood for a fungipunk puzzler.
Ape Out was provided to the reviewer by the publishing company but this fact did not alter the reviewer’s opinion.
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