Age of Sokoban - Switch Review
Released on the 10th of June, this nostalgic herald of the classic 80s Sokoban arcade-puzzle game has been reinvented for the Nintendo Switch. The original Sokoban game is a platformer-based game in which the player is a warehouse worker whose job it is to push crates around a map to their ending locations. Age of Sokoban is no different to the original, in the same type of basic arcade style, but has been updated with different themes and mechanics to give the player a newer experience. With your help, the protagonist is Detective Kedy, a wily Sherlockian Holmes figure whose job is to guide you through all 54 levels of this brain-trainer.
The Good
Comprising 54 levels, Age of Sokoban is split three ways into themed areas with matching content that really immerses you. Added mechanics separate this Sokoban variant from the others and with the inclusion of enemies in the game, it forces the player to adapt their previous forms and complete the levels appropriately. Themed towards Egypt, Greece and the Milky Way, with each composed of enemies such as snakes, minotaurs and aliens, the immersion is almost as adorable as the detective but definitely appropriate to the subject matter chosen.
The artwork of Age of Sokoban is stylized with a focus on Detective Kedy as the cute, cuddly and amusing sidekick; the simplistic nature of the art does add to the overall feel and effortless nature. Each level is peppered with more challenges than the last and is accompanied by artwork that has been streamlined whilst focusing on the puzzle-nature of the game. With every level of completion, the sense of achievement soared and so the next level began, thus beginning the addiction that is Age of Sokoban.
TL;DR
- Gorgeous and adorable stylised artwork
- Challenging brain-trainer puzzles
- Addicting, completion-driven gameplay
The Bad
The music in Age of Sokoban is appropriate to the themed level in which it takes place; however 18 levels of the same music (sometimes more if you need to restart a level) does get quite repetitive and somewhat frustrating to the player.
Realistically, there is two hours maximum of gameplay, being only 54 levels in total released with the price tag of $4.99 (AUD). Going through phone apps, players could definitely install the same styled game for free which would come with a few more hours worth of gameplay.
Sokoban has been reinvented so many times in the past 30 odd years and this game is no different. Creating the game on the Nintendo Switch was a stroke of genius as there is little-to-no competition on the Nintendo eShop for any Sokoban style games.
TL;DR
- Music gets monotonous
- Not enough gameplay for the price tag
Final Score: 6/10
Age of Sokoban is addicting and adorable and the art style is absolutely gorgeous, hooking me within the first few minutes. Detective Kedy, I really do hope you get new levels and adventures in the coming months or some added cosmetics to get me back into playing this game. The music certainly got on my nerves and frustrated me due to the fact that if you had to restart a level, the music didn’t stop or change; it was the same roughly two minute clip of music and became a mocking feature.
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