3D platformers are a celebrated genre in gaming ever since Super Mario 64, and there is much still being done with the genre. From the evolution of the series with Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Banjo Kazooie, Jak and Daxter and more, to modern Mario games, the genre has been through a lot. In fact, for a long time there haven’t really been any classic collectethon platformers and that led to indie developers stepping in with titles like Yooka Laylee and today’s focus, A Hat In Time.
A Hat in Time sees you as Hat Girl setting out to recover your lost equipment after your ship is attacked. Along the way, you will encounter a world that is bizarre in the best way possible. Whereas some throwback 3D platformers feel like they are trying too hard to recreate the N64 era, complete with all its faults, A Hat in Time feels like a modern take on collectethon like Super Mario Odyssey. Platforming is not as rigid though, so there is a need to take your movement into account. This is especially true with some of the puzzles you will do as the game continues.
The game is a platformer obviously, so running and jumping is here in addition to things like double jumps, dashes sprints and more. However, things get interesting when you factor in the various hats you will get. The hats play a very big role here and affect how Hat Kid can explore the world. They will sometimes give you new attacking abilities, new movement abilities or just help you find your goal. These are a major game changer and gives the game a lot of replay value. You will want to keep going back to older levels for instance, to see what you can do with a new hat equipped.
The puzzles here are interesting, some are as simple as moving a certain way, and some require more thought. What threw me off in a good way though, was the stealth levels. Playing the first one made me realize there was a lot more to this game than I had expected previously, and opened me up to a whole new way of experiencing the collectathon. I was amazed at the variety of the level design in A Hat in Time and must say that this is a game that dares to try something new. Yes this is a collectathon, which can be formulaic, but it has a very good story and a decent framing for why the collecting is happening. The only flaw I have with the game is that the level design could be tighter in some areas. While most areas are great, some feel not fully realized, and the looser controls do throw things off a bit. I still like the game overall though.
A Hat In Time feels like the companion to Super Mario Odyssey, like Banjo Kazooie was to Super Mario 64. These two games have done much to push the genre of 3D platforming forward by innovating on the past. I highly recommend checking this out, because it is a must play experience.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided