Playing with gravity in platformers is nothing new; Super Mario Galaxy is a prime example of a concept well executed, but Limbo also did a commendable job during the later stages of its short campaign. Still, being able to manipulate gravity throughout the game? That’s pretty new (whoosh, Gravity Rush and VVVVVV fans), but if our hands-on time with the demo for Reggie: The game if anything, then we’re in for a treat when it finally launches in 2025.
To use the full name, Reggie, His Cousin, Two Scientists and Most Likely the End of the World is a 2D platformer from Dutch developer Degoma where you move through stages by reversing the gravity of the world, effectively allowing you to jump up to the ceiling and back down again, or even zigzagging through the air, hitting enemies on the head (or their behinds) as you go. It’s quite similar to VVVVVV in some respects, but the ability to reverse gravity while in the air and use physics to manipulate your swing sets it apart quite a bit.
We recently sat down for a quick chat with siblings Gloria and Frank Garcia, founders of Degoma, and tried out four of the game’s 25 levels via an early PC version. Despite only sampling a small portion of the entire game, we came away pretty excited and optimistic about Reggie, though we do have a few minor concerns that we hope will be nipped in the bud before its full launch in 2025.
The first thing we noticed was the extremely charming presentation. The visuals are reminiscent of modern cartoons like Adventure time, and this is enhanced by a catchy, exciting soundtrack. We noticed a slight inconsistency in the quality of the music from one level to the next, though we suspect this may not be representative of the final product. Additionally, we were immediately smitten with Reggie himself; simple in design but bursting with personality, we doubt it will have a long life after this first title.
It’s also surprisingly cinematic at times. For the most part, the environments and backgrounds are mostly static, but the second demo level featured a huge, red vortex that sucks in rocks and trees while distorting the background. It’s at once trippy yet glorious, and we can’t wait to see what else Degoma has up its sleeve for the full game.
In terms of gameplay, the gravity feature feels intuitive enough for anyone to pick up easily, but there’s the potential to move through levels at breakneck speed once you get used to how the physics work. There’s no limit to how often you can reverse gravity, but if you use it to effectively hover in the air, your momentum will gradually slow down until you can no longer go forward. It’s great for covering longer distances, but you’ll need to be careful not to lose momentum when there are no platforms above or below you.
It’s surprisingly demanding, especially in the later stages. By default, you have three ‘leaves’ which represent the number of times you can take damage before you die. Enemies abound, so you have to be careful where you land, but there’s also plenty of opportunity to fly off the map itself. What’s great, though, is that there are humorous, custom death animations depending on how you die, so we found ourselves getting hit on purpose just to see how Reggie would crack it.
Our main concern at this stage is the lack of diversity. The levels are visually unique enough, but we worry that without the interesting puzzles to solve along the way, the game might be little more than an enhanced version Flappy Bird. The visuals and unique charm did enough to keep us more than entertained for the duration of the demo, but we’re hoping for a bit more of that in the final game. Fortunately, those who like to play co-op will be pleased that an additional player can join as Reggie’s cousin, which should add some spice to the usual gameplay.
As for the ridiculous title of the game? Gloria Garcia says Degoma hopes the game is successful enough to spawn a sequel. As such, since the title of the first game essentially tells the story, a potential sequel would revolve around this with its own unique name. It makes sense to us; hopefully Reggie, his cousin, two scientists and possibly the end of the world will be successful – at least to hear what the next one will be called.
Thanks to Gloria and Frank and Kit and Krysta at Never A Minute for this setup.
Reggie, His Cousin, Two Scientists and Most Likely the End of the World are set to launch on Switch in 2025. Got Reggie on your Switch wishlist? What do you think about gravity-defying gameplay? Leave a comment with your thoughts below.
