At first glance, the world of patch search it is comfortable, colorful and warm. However, you soon come face to face with a colossal spider, and suddenly the world seems a lot more dangerous.
In patch search, you play as an explorer seeking to unify the shrouded world of Patchlantis with the help of your monster friends. Its first hours are an amalgamation of numerous games that came before it: you can tame monsters in the style of Pokémon, collect items in the style of Pokémon. The Binding of Isaacand avoid for your life to the Enter the dungeon. But despite its clear inspirations, developer Lychee Game Labs has created something unique: a monster-taming roguelike all its own.
Every time you start a quest, you lose yourself in the labyrinthine world of Patchlantis with your monster taming lasso and trusty blaster with one goal in mind: to unite the world, one patch at a time. At first, I ventured into Patchlantis and encountered my first enemy, a mere moth. The frail insect seemed a weak companion, but after taming the Hypnot, it proved to be a commanding ally whose power to stun other animals more than made up for its diminutive stature.
Image: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games via Polygon
On the back of your new colleague, you will travel through the quilt maze, defeating opposing animals and powering up with fruit ammo and charms. You fight bosses, unlock shortcuts, and collect plants until you meet your eventual demise, and then you return to your base camp. Before starting another quest, you get perks to strengthen your scout and spread plants around the camp to strengthen your beloved pets and prepare for your next journey.
Now we are ready to patch the world together. Wait, is that an armadillo in a hat? That’s what I’m talking about! The animals and creatures within patch search they attracted me with their cute behaviors (even the creepy crawlies), but many of them are not interested in being my friends; some are wild animals simply looking for their next meal. the animals of patch search They are born wild and untamed, but instead of taming and gathering these animals, I have to slaughter them.
Image: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games via Polygon
Their projectiles clutter my screen, and I do my best to avoid them with the minimal space I have. There are definitely points where should take damage, or even die, but patch search it is lenient in its array of tools. Instead of dodging, I can destroy or deflect projectiles, and sometimes my “evasion level”, which gives you a chance to take no damage when hit, is high enough to avoid all but the messiest of explosions.
Several hours inside patch search began to feel a little too sorry, so I checked the difficulty settings, only to find I was playing on the lowest possible difficulty. As a gamer myself, I increased the difficulty to “Level 8: Deadly”. Oh, I soon found out I wasn’t the player I thought I was. patch search‘s difficulty levels range from tempting and accessible to punishing and chaotic. Much of the joy of patch search it comes from revisiting higher difficulties after you unlock perks and level up your new companions.
After some experimentation and trial and error (aka dying a lot), I felt good about my understanding patch searchThe main game loop of . Although the maze itself is predetermined, the enemies and patches are different each time, giving you a fresh experience for each run.
Image: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games via Polygon
The beginning of patch search It may take some time to fully develop, but every quilt starts with a single thread and needle. He quickly incorporates new play elements to prevent him from getting dirty or tangled. Monster training forces you to diversify your playstyle, and it doesn’t seem like just a random trick to set yourself apart. The quest system gives you a sense of direction in the twisting maze, and the shortcuts mean you’re not endlessly navigating the maze to reach your destination. The combat reconnects you and ties you into that satisfying rogue cycle of upgrading your gear and upgrading your latest mission.
It’s impressive, especially for a game developed by a single person – how many disparate genres and how many different gameplay loops patch search manages to juggle without dropping a single one. It can be Pokemon, Castlevania, Binding of Isaac, Enter the dungeon shake, but it’s a shake I plan to order again and again.
patch search was released on March 2 on Windows PC. The game was patched using a pre-download code provided by Curve Games. Vox Media has affiliate associations. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn a commission on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find More information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.