While the heyday of 3D platformers is long gone, modern indie developers have done a pretty good job of keeping the spirit alive with dedicated efforts in titles like Lunistice, Mail Mole, Cavern of Dreams, and Demon Turf. Frogun was another decent new entry in the genre in 2022, and now the developers at Top Hat Studios are back for a second outing with Frogun Encore, a “standalone expansion/sequel” that continues and polishes much of what made the original. a hidden gem. Frogun Encore may still be a little wonky in places (probably part of the charm), but Renata’s sophomore outing is an overall stronger and more enjoyable adventure that fans of retro 3D platformers will want to keep an eye on.
Frogun Encore plays much the same as its predecessor, tasking you to explore short levels filled with secrets, enemies, and loads of collectibles. Renata herself is a bit more flexible than in her initial outing, as she can now perform moves like a double jump or a catapult maneuver with a mid-grab. And just like last time, she can use her trusty frog (who can, delightfully, talk to her and give her advice throughout the levels) to dash to distant ledges and grab jars or enemies with its long tongue. The girl-frog duo may have a fairly simple moveset compared to 3D platformer stalwarts like Banjo and Kazooie, but the levels here are well-suited to their abilities and routinely come up with interesting new challenges to keep you on your toes.
The moment-to-moment platforming itself is superb, and in many ways, Frogun Encore feels like a 3D version of Yoshi’s Island in the way it approaches collecting and completion. To pass the level, simply reach the talisman waiting for you at the end of the course, but you’re missing out on a lot of experience if that all to work. To 100% each course you also need to find two green gems hidden somewhere in the stage, pick up every coin, grab the skull that is drawn in the extremely difficult hidden bonus stage, complete the level without dying, and beat the stage within the given time limit. Fortunately, you don’t need to do all of these things in one run, so you can take your time to familiarize yourself with the layout and collectible locations as you retry different objectives.
It’s incredibly satisfying to capture everything, and part of why this system works so well is because of the intelligent design of the stages. Each level only lasts a few minutes, so repeat visits don’t feel rough or tiring considering you’re in and out quickly before a stage wears out its welcome. Additionally, you slowly begin to recognize that there are various built-in shortcuts that you can take advantage of once you have a better understanding of Renata’s moveset, speeding up the journey and rewarding mastery of the movement mechanics.
Frogun Encore, then, is very similar to its predecessor, but it’s clear that the developers have gone to great lengths to address some of the criticisms of the first entry. For example, aiming for the titular frog is much better this time around, neatly bypassing the occasionally awkward process that previously occurred when aiming and shooting. Now the aiming reticle will intelligently lock on to grabables you’re facing, and can sometimes misfire Following object or enemy you’re trying to grab, it works much faster overall.
The camera has received some improvements, now having more of a top-down view of the action that better captures the layout of the stages as you move through them. There’s no more fumbling with the camera while lining up for the next jump as you can always clearly see where you’re going, removing many of the previous frustrations that came with perspective management. Some may miss the manual camera controls, and the new gameplay perspective feels a bit different, but this new style generally feels like an improvement.
One of the main new features of this sequel is that a friend can now enter local co-op at any time playing as Jake, and we’re happy to report that this feels like an organic addition to the core gameplay loop. The new, scaled-down camera means neither of you will get hit if you fall behind, and if any character dies, they’ll simply be placed in a bubble that will float back to their surviving partner. While these stages still feel like they’re ultimately designed for solo play, it can be nice to have a friend on hand to help you suck up all the coins.
That’s all well and good, but there are some lingering flaws that still need to be ironed out with the physics in Frogun Encore. Landing on a platform is generally great, but performing more advanced maneuvers like sliding between grappling points without touching the ground can be clumsy and feel more a product of chance than skill. Most of the stages don’t burden you too much, thankfully, but we’d still like to see a little more effort to round out those rougher edges of Renata’s moveset in this second outing. Looking at it from a devil’s advocate perspective, one could argue that the occasional jitteriness in the controls is part of it charm
Visually, Frogun Encore adheres firmly to the same graphical style of the original, strongly taking on the lo-fi polygonal style of the fifth generation platformer. It’s a charming style that manages to be simple without looking cheap, and we appreciated that the developers took the opportunity to explore more types of biomes for the level themes this time around. Along with some returning favorites from the first game, there are now new areas like the Marble Garden Zone as Elena or the Imperial Japanese-inspired Ybushi, which fit perfectly with the broader visual style of Renata’s world.
Conclusion
Frogun Encore offers a powerful and satisfying outing for Renata and her frog. Much like classic 3D platformer sequels such as Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back or Sly 2: Band of Thieves, expands on the groundwork laid by its predecessor in meaningful ways and polishes the ideas introduced by the original release. The level design is tighter, you can play with a friend, the stages are more ambitious, and this overall feels like a more confident and sure-footed adventure. It may still have some lingering issues with the controls, but as far as retro 3D platformers go, Frogun Encore is about as good as it gets.