Akimbot Preview: Straight Out of the PS2 Era of Platformers in All the Best Ways
Nostalgia is one of the most powerful, over-weaponized forces in the video game industry. But it also opens up avenues for cool takes on classic ideas. Hearkening back to PS2-era action platformers, Akimbot already seems like a great example of nostalgia done right. Full of homage to classics from that era like Ratchet and Clank, I had so much fun jumping, shooting, and air-dashing through an early version of Akimbot’s first level.
As it turns out, action-platformers are French indie studio Evil Raptor’s bread and butter. 2021’s Pumpkin Jack was a cult hit among platforming fans when it hit back in 2020, and if my half-hour demo with Akimbot is any indication, it seems like it’s poised to scratch the same itch with a charming world, responsive platforming controls, interesting character designs, and well-designed levels. I just wish my demo was longer.
You’ll play as Exe, a tacit, mysterious robot with some platforming and combat chops. Shipset, your considerably more talkative, floating companion, used to work as an accounting bot who grew tired of his job and broke out, seemingly throwing a grenade behind him and angering all the wrong people. Starting in a spaceship, imprisoned by intergalactic mobsters, our lead duo breaks out after their traveling prison crash-lands on a tropical beach planet.
This opening cutscene did a great job of setting up both the odd couple-like dynamic between the leads and Akimbot’s overall tone. The quippy and charming cutscenes felt like watching a favorite Saturday morning cartoon that never was. Exe and Shipset continued chatting after I set out, continuing to flesh out the characters. Thankfully, their bickering evolved quickly enough that it never got annoying.
While Akimbot nails the look and aesthetic of the PS2 era, it is undoubtedly a modern game. Gorgeous lighting and particle effects paint the beach planet with ray-traced warm, chill, inviting vibes. From what I could tell, the quality of life is all there too; I didn’t find any of the occasionally frustrating clunkiness that so often keeps platformers from that era from aging well.
Exe, meanwhile, controls like a dream. He deftly jumped from platform to platform, with movement options that felt immediately natural to me as a big fan of 3D platformers. I had so much fun just messing around with his moveset – like the double jump and air dash he’s got from the get go – as I learned how to make the most of a jump. His air dash ends with a little extra air time and height, and once I figured out how to perfectly time my second jump at the apex of that dash, I started really cooking with Exe’s moveset. Soon, I was clearing multiple platforms at a time with relative ease.
Even his melee abilities give some extra oomph to his movement. While using his slashing melee attack on the ground is satisfying enough in its own right, doing it midair lets him perform a spinning, rising attack that adds yet another means of catching some extra height. The movement was far and away my favorite and the most exciting part of Akimbot. In fact, based on what I’ve played so far, I have a feeling Evil Raptor is going to really stretch what’s possible with Exe’s moveset as the game progresses. Even in Akimbot’s first level, which is pretty easy by most standards, I found ways to have fun and push my own abilities. To me, that’s the hallmark of a good 3D platformer.
The movement was far and away my favorite and the most exciting part of Akimbot.
Don’t get me wrong, though, the shooting also feels really good. Once you get a hang of Exe’s movement, Akimbot presents you with a choice between four different guns. I went with the all-around option: a pair of semi-automatic pistols that crack with just the right amount of punch as their bullets connected with my mechanical foes. I also picked up a more traditional machine gun along the way, which also felt great as I dispatched far-off foes during an on-rails sequence. I also found options to upgrade and level up each of these special starting weapons. I didn’t get to dive too deep into that, unfortunately, but it’s nice to see that there’s going to be some tangible progression for each gun.
Akimbot’s movement and shooting both get high marks based on the demo I played. Now we just need to see what Evil Raptor manages to accomplish with the moveset it’s created. But if the first level is any indication, Akimbot’s sure to be a hit with 3D platforming fans.
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