- Platform: PS4
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Developers: JW (of Vlambeer), Kitty Calis (Horizon: Zero Dawn), Dominik Johann (Accounting+), and Jukio Kallio (Luftrausers, Bleed 2)
- Number of Players: 1
A few years back a quirky little game dropped on the underrated PSP; that game was Half Minute Hero. You played the game in 30 second chunks and then had to start over with anything you got or activities accomplished carried over. Ever since I finished that game, I always wondered if anyone else would take this fast paced and exhilarating play style and bring it to consoles. Well, it’s finally happened, and that game is Minit!
Minit is, at its heart, a retro style top down RPG. Think classic RPG’s, like the original Legend of Zelda for the NES. The game starts off with the unnamed main character, who just may be a duck, leaving his house and just milling around. Eventually you come upon a sword just lying on a beach. Once you pick it up, you are struck with the swords curse, and you will die every 60 seconds.
From that point on, the race is on! As you move through the world you’ll find areas you cannot access yet, and NPC’s needing your help. As you accomplish tasks you’ll unlock rewards, and any new abilities you get carry over to each new life. As you gain new tools and abilities you can revisit unreachable areas and finally gain access.
Some things are puzzle based and it will take multiple attempts to get through. Solving these puzzles typically goes like this: Step 1 – Find Puzzle, die. Step 2 – Figure out puzzle, die. Step 3 – Solve puzzle, die. And so on.
The overall game is fairly short as my first run through took a bit over 2 hours, but there is certainly replay value in finding all the collectables and playing again to try to improve on your last time. The game certainly hits that nostalgic itch while giving a cool spin on the proceedings.
Gameplay:
The game feels like a lost Zelda or Earthbound game from long ago. The added time factor definitely shakes things up in a good way. Controls are very precise and the power-ups you collect along the way open up the game world and your abilities nicely.
Controls:
Controls are pretty simple and intuitive. Left stick/D-pad moves, X is attack/use/interact and O kills you on the spot in order to retry from your last house/save point.
Graphics:
Looking very similar to something like Downwell, the game features stark black & white graphics to contrast its playful art style. The animation is very fluid and the character designs, while odd, and very good as well.
Music/Sound:
The music and sound effects are very much 8-bit inspired but are delivered in a creative way that builds upon their inspiration to create a nostalgic but fresh feel for a retro game.
Summary:
If you have been a fan of the recent indie retro crazy or are into speedrunning, I just found your new favorite game. The game liberally borrows from many game genres but combines them in such a way to feel like a unique experience. The game clearly wears its inspirations on its sleeve and it’s truly a love letter to the games of old. Playing the game is sheer retro joy and should definitely be experienced.
Pros:
- Reminds you of a lost 8-bit classic
- Completing goals within 60 seconds is satisfying
- Replay value through finding all collectables and bettering your rime
Cons:
- Kind of short but I’m not 100% sure that’s a bad thing
Rating: A
Disclaimer: A digital copy of the game was provided by Devolver for review purposes.