*Disclaimer: Grapple Dog review code was provided by Super Rare Games for the purposes of this review. That being said, all opinions expressed in this review are entirely that of the author. *
In a world threatened by a mechanical menace, only one hound can save the world. With a trusty grappling hook by your side, Grapple Dog will have you swinging into action in a delightfully charming 2D platformer.
Go, Go, Grapple Dog!
Playing as Pablo, the titular Grapple Dog, you’ll be embarking on an epic voyage to retrieve the mysterious Cosmic Gadgets and stop a devious robotic terror from destroying the world. Along with his cohorts, Toni and The Professor, Pablo is oozing with character. A sweetly naïve pooch who always seems to miss the punchline of the joke. The dialogue Pablo has with his friends and various NPCs in the stages is charming, and made all the more so with Joseph Gribbin’s lovingly crafted character designs.
Hooked on a Feeling
While man’s best friend will always be the dog, the dog’s best friend (at least in this game) is the grappling hook. What could have been your typical 2D platformer is transformed into something more elaborate when traversing the various levels. With his grappling hook, Pablo can swing across ravines, bounce up from balloons and zip toward enemies for a swift beatdown. This added some fantastic verticality to the game, making me swing in ways I had never thought to swing before in order to try and find a hidden wall or tucked away gem.
But as the opening levels eased me into the general mechanics of the game, the controls and manoeuvres needed to reach each gem became more intricate with every stage. Keeping momentum when running as well wasn’t always easy. I found the game at its best when I was constantly moving, which made the optional time trials all the more satisfying. While I am certainly one for a difficulty curve, at times I felt the controls were not always on my side and lead to a few frustrating defeats. On a few occasions, as I attempted to line myself up for a well-timed bounce from an object, only to carry on going and dive each first into a thorny bush. However, this fed nicely into Grapple Dog’s use of accessibility options to keep…
Fun at the Forefront
What impressed me most about Grapple Dog was its desire to put fun at the forefront. As I attempted to make some particularly tricky jumps (and falling into spike pits and lava pools galore) I decided to give the accessibility options a whirl. Having the option to turn off damage gave me the chance to do some practice runs and perfect my timing without the pressure of hurting myself over and over. Then, when I was ready, the damage went back on and I was able to make my jumps and land perfectly in front of a very welcome checkpoint. It was this attention to detail that made me realise that Grapple Dog was welcome to anyone, from speedrunner to family alike.
So… Can You?
As with any game that features a dog now, the question whether you can pet them is always going to be the hot topic. Thankfully, you can give Pablo all the pets if you can collect all the purple gems in each stage. Petting the dog in this game is actually one of my favourite aspects of it. Rather than just being tacked on to appease the masses, giving Pablo plenty of pets is what he deserves. It’s a well-earned reward for being diligent on your runs and going out of your way to explore and find all the purple gems. A simple push of the button and his eyes light up. What better reward for a job well done?
Grapple Dog, at its core, is a game made with love and filled to bursting with fun and character. Despite some occasionally finnicky controls, swinging across stages was exciting, and made all the better with considerate accessibility options, that gave me a second wind during some of the trickier stages. With vibrant colours that would look gorgeous on the Switch OLED and a funky soundtrack by Jazz Mickle, Grapple Dog has charmed its way into my heart and makes for a lovely debut as Super Rare Originals’ first published title.
Final Verdict: 7/10
Grapple Dog will be released February 10, 2022, on Steam and Nintendo Switch
Word by Jack Roberts
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