Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland Review
Release date: April 27th, 2023
Developer: Frostwood Interactive
Platforms: PC (Reviewed)
Price: $5
Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is an interesting game. The cute graphics and 8bit options may sell the game to some but the challenging platforming is unforgiving. Does the co-op make it easier?
One of the things that sold me right away is how gamers can tackle the levels in any order. There are also 4 babies to choose from. Think of this as a giant hub world and players can jump right in. Chuckie, Phil, Lil and Tommy all have different skill sets. Some can carry heavy objects easier, and jump higher. Players can switch babies on the fly and there is co-op. Players are tasked with getting through the levels and collecting Reptar coins. They can jump on enemies to stun them and pick them up and throw them. These are mechanics most modern gamers should be used to by now.
The nostalgia hits hard with these games. Players will see Reptar, Angelica, Stu, Grandpa and everything else in the house that made the series popular. Throw on 8-bit mode and the game looks like something that might have been on the Gameboy Color. Combine this with the music and audio and it's 1994/1995 all over again.
But with the good comes the bad, I found the boss fights to be a lot tougher than they needed to be and for the most part when beating them it was underwhelming. There are different difficulty nodes but players cannot change these on the fly. The controls also really bugged me. The babies feel stiff and cumbersome to move. This makes some of the platforming very difficult which is part of the appeal of the game I think. Something a little slower paced than most gamers are used to. Thus, if players are going to try co-op the challenge of the game may be frustrating for those who don't have the patience.
Overall this is an interesting game from a universe that hasn't been touched in video games since 2004’s GBA releases and the PS2/GC games from 2002. If you are a fan of the series or enjoy a challenging platformer I would recommend checking this out.
Big thanks to the PR company for providing us a review copy.
Final Score 3.5/5
Pros:
Fun game with popular 90s characters
Hub style world
8 bit graphics and co-op!
Cons:
Controls arent great
Pretty challenging
Co-op may be too hard for younger gamers