I’ve always admired indie developers, because unlike the major studios controlled by large-scale publishers, they always try to push the boundaries of the medium and separate themselves from the AAA releases. And most successful indie games such as Hotline Miami and The Binding of Isaac, are unique either mechanically or artistically, in order to provide the consumers with experiences which can’t be found anywhere else. However, even though some games are capable of achieving the heights comparable to AAA releases, others falter either due to poor execution, incoherent game design, or mundane art direction, and unfortunately Poncho, as a game, succumbs to all three flaws.
Poncho, just like majority of the contemporary indie games dons a low resolution, pixelated retro art style, but instead of making most of it, like other games of this kind do, it simply introduces a handful of assets which are reused throughout the game and repurposed with a simple change of colour. And after spending couple of hours with the game, I already felt like I’ve seen everything and that nothing could surprise me. However, I was wrong. As soon as I’ve started making my way through later levels, I’ve noticed that some objects are not textured properly, and I found myself stuck for considerable amount of time, as I was unable to find a point of transition, which is Poncho’s main mechanic.
At its core Poncho is an extremely simple platformer, as it only requires you to make your way from point A to B, using the left analogue stick and X button (on PlayStation 4), however, there is a spin on the proceedings as the game instantly introduces the ‘transition’ mechanic. Transition allows you to move between the layers of scenery in order to overcome obstacles or access keys and red diamonds, which are game’s main currency. However, as I’ve previously mentioned, the mechanic doesn’t work as well as developers would like, as the shading of some platforms make them seem inaccessible, whereas design of the nonphysical scenery can be deceiving and have you jump into the abyss.
Jumping off of the platform straight to your death may be the most infuriating thing in the entirety of the game, if not for the existence of motion platforms. Motion platforms, just like game’s character ‘Poncho’, can move left, right, and across the three sections of available platforms. And this may sound like a mechanic which can lead to creation of some interesting puzzles, however, just like the transition mechanic, it is simply another inconvenience. Platforms which move solely across the three sections are intended to work in sync in order to enable you to get from one static platform to another, however, as soon as you let them do a couple of rounds between the said platforms, they’ll soon start working out of sync, forcing you to either find another way around, or simply cheat. I cheated.
If you decide to pick Poncho up, and stand by it after completing the infuriating sections featuring the previously mentioned motion platforms, you’ll soon come across a puzzle which involves both game controlled motion platforms, and platforms which are controlled through your transition movement. And these puzzles are simply broken, as unless you can manage to transition your platforms in time to stop the ones controlled by the game, you’ll either end up having to restart the level as the two platforms will now be one, or somehow, yet again try to cheat your way through.
In conclusion, Poncho is a game based around an interesting concept, but the execution of the title is so poor and inconsistent, you spend more time respawning than actually playing. And at times, it feels like developers acknowledge that fact, as they allow you to simply purchase keys with an in-game currency to skip some of the most annoying puzzles featured in the game, but then, the currency itself is sometimes hidden so deviously, you’re more likely to turn the game off than spend dozens of minutes trying to access a single red diamond in order to buy another key which will unlock yet more infuriatingly painful puzzles. Poncho should be a fantastic indie title, but is often let down by its poor execution.