Mike Reitemeier
Mike ReitemeierNostalgia has been a driving factor in indie gaming for decades now. It’s a pleasure to see so many great games expand upon ideas from developers that grew up with games they were exceptionally passionate about. In the case of GearGrit, it’s easy to impart that Pandan Games were big fans of games like Jak and Daxter as well as Ratchet and Clank. These platformers dominated the PlayStation 2 and sold millions upon millions of copies, still resonating even if the developers of those games are making completely different titles now. As GearGrit aims to emulate these cartoony games of yore, a demo is now available to play on their Steam page.
I fondly remember encountering the overworld city in Jak II and not even bothering to progress with the game, instead just hoverboarding around town as I was so deeply immersed in this living, breathing fantasy world. GearGrit evokes this feeling perfectly, giving me that “Ratatouille moment” from my childhood as I platformed across town, collecting bolts, completing races, and pulling off sick jumps. The main character, Tansy Geargrit, is a scrappy badass who fits right into the setting and handily takes on all challenges without a sweat.
There’s a ton of neat details in the GearGrit demo, such as a three-wave combat test in the Fighter’s Guild, several costumes for Tansy, and even achievements that are tricky to earn. Culminating in a dungeon crawl and a challenging boss fight, there’s plenty to enjoy in this fantastic first impression for anyone keen on reliving their glory days from the PS2. A controller is highly recommended as I was fumbling around my keyboard at first whilst platforming. While GearGrit has no release date as of yet, the developer is constantly posting updates on X and has great things to show for this exciting new title.
Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.
Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!
68
