The game is described by its developer as “a bite-sized 3D platformer with a few weird elements.” Moreover, Siacrtro lists the game’s features as: late 90s low poly aesthetic, fast paced platforming, 9 levels with unique elements, and 2 secret characters to unlock. It’s Steam tags mostly match this, using terms like 3D Platformer and Cute. The tags also include Horror, though, so perhaps this game is more than what it seems. What are my thoughts on the game? Read on to find out!
What Worked For Me:
- Nostalgia can only get a game so far; ultimately, it has to be fun. I am happy to report that Toree 3D clears that bar. It isn’t a particularly deep 3D platformer, and has nowhere near the “movement tech” of games like Super Mario Sunshine. Given its size, scope, and cost to the end-user, however, I absolutely can’t complain.
- The price! The game is only $0.99 on Steam and $1 on the developer’s itch.io page. Value definitely seems to be on Siactro’s mind, as their games range from free to $2. Tasty Ramen and Kiwi 64 are exceptions, but only because their price is whatever the player chooses to pay.
- The soundtrack is great. Not only is it pleasantly varied, it also evokes the soundtracks of the era of games Toree 3D is inspired by. While said soundtrack might get a stale over the course of a longer game, Toree 3D can be beaten in an hour or two so I had no issues there.
- The game includes unlockables in the form of two additional playable characters. Both reference other Siactro games, too, which I think is a nice touch (and in line with the choice a developer from the 90s might have made).
- With regards to the unlockables, I appreciate that the game rewards different play-styles. One becomes available after gathering all the game’s collectables, while the other requires blazing through all 9 levels like a speed run.
- The game is engaging for the entirety of its (short) run time. To me, a game that promises hundreds of hours of gameplay sounds more like a threat than a feature. My reasoning for this is simple: many (if not most) games aren’t interesting for that long. Basically, I would rather play a 10 hour game that’s engaging the whole way through (either mechanically, narratively, etc) than a 100 hour game that wastes my time for the sole purpose of having a longer play time on the box.
- Playing the game evoked memories of the games of my youth, from Spyro to the Sonic Adventure series. While Toree 3D may not provide anywhere near the scope of these games, the fact that they’re on my mind means the developer succeeded in the “late 90s low poly aesthetic” part of their game’s design.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
- There’s no way to re-map the game’s controls. This isn’t game-breaking by any means, as Toree’s movement consists of running, double-jumping, and camera movement. It still would’ve been nice to have options, though. Even something as simple as mapping camera movement to the shoulder buttons of my controller would’ve helped a lot.
- (nit-pick) Speaking of the camera, it moves really slowly by default. Even after bumping up the camera sensitivity to its highest, the camera movement was still slow for my tastes. Perhaps this was done in homage to the games of yore (I haven’t played one recently enough to say); I still found it annoying, though.
- The game includes the horror tag, but I think that oversells it. Really, the scariest the game gets is a mild jump scare or two, and basically nothing in terms of graphic or disturbing imagery. The game doesn’t even come close to “eversion” levels of weird (which is another cutesy-turned-horror game). In short, the tag created a mismatch of expectations.
- (nit-pick) The game offers no story beyond what the player can observe (a la “environmental storytelling). If there is “deep lore” to this game, and that’s a big if, I totally missed it. I’m only listing this as a nit-pick, however, because A) the lack of “lore” is in keeping with other 90s era titles and B) the game is $1.
Conclusion:
Toree 3D is a game that knows what it wants to be. It’s not the deepest experience and I wouldn’t describe it as anywhere near a horror game. It’s price, nostalgic feels, and aesthetic more than make up for it’s shortcomings, though. If you have a dollar to spend and an hour or so to play a 3D platformer throwback, this one is definitely worth your time.
