Bright Paw
Gameplay 8
Graphics 8
Sound 9

Bright Paw is a great puzzle adventure starring an adorable feline protagonist. The card-based movement mechanics make for interesting puzzles, especially when special abilities are thrown into the mix. While not the most challenging puzzle game available, it’s enjoyable and has a polished look and feel.

Gameplay: The game is not very difficult but remains fun throughout.

Graphics: The art style is neat, with plenty of imaginative levels.

Sound: The soundtrack is beautiful, and the standard of voice acting is very high

Summary 8.3 Outstanding
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Bright Paw

Developer: Radical Forge | Publisher: Rogue Games, Inc | Release Date: 2020 | Genre: Strategy / Adventure / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Bright Paw is the story of Theo, a cat that wakes up one evening to discover that its owners have been murdered. Prodded onward by the voice of a mysterious narrator, Theo follows the trail of destruction that the murderer left in their wake. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Theo’s home is anything but ordinary. Instead, it’s connected to a sprawling complex called Bright Paw Industries, where all kinds of mysterious research appear to have taken place. Players must help Theo navigate the perils of the complex while finding out more about its owners along the way.

Despite the numerous hazards between Theo and the exit for each room, Bright Paw is a rather relaxing game. Everything is turn-based, so there are no time limits to worry about, and thanks to a rewind feature, it’s possible to undo every mistake. Levels can also be restarted instantly if you feel like you’ve messed things up too badly, and the inclusion of an “assist” mode means that the game is suitable for players of all skill levels.

Bright Paw is split into nine acts with more than 70 levels that see Theo traveling deeper and deeper into the underbelly of the facility. Each level opens with the narrator commenting on the particular room and pointing out some hazards. Players must navigate Theo through these hazards to reach the exit. While this sounds easy, the task of maneuvering Theo around is slightly more complicated because it can only be done via cards. Players have access to up to five cards that are shown at the bottom of the screen and must use the right combinations to get Theo to the exit. Initially, this is as simple as can be with cards for going left, right, or forward, but more complicated patterns are soon introduced along with some very cool abilities. However, the game’s difficulty curve remained very gentle throughout, and we rarely found ourselves getting stuck.

Most of the challenges in Bright Paw don’t just come from the environmental hazards such as flames, lasers, and electricity, but also the security robots roaming about. Some move around on set paths, while others try to chase Theo down. Fortunately, the available path nodes on each level are displayed at all times, and selecting a card shows you exactly where Theo will land up. The nodes where enemies will move to are also displayed, so you can plan accordingly without worrying about any nasty surprises.

Visually, Bright Paw is a good-looking game, and it’s clear that a lot of care has gone into the design of each level. Players can rotate the view and zoom in or out for a better view. Also, it’s possible to switch to a top-down view of the action instead of the default isometric perspective if preferred. As an added bonus, each scene has several “hidden” objects that can be clicked on to reveal more about the storyline. There’s even a total of 27 different skins to unlock for Theo, with many of them being very unique. One minor issue we encountered was that the game appeared to forget our graphical settings each time we quit and returned. The quality can be set from Low all the way to Epic quality, but we had to make this change each time we started the game. We also had to cap the frame rate and enable V-sync to prevent the fans of our graphics card from going into overdrive while playing. However, it’s nice to see that the game has plenty of accessibility options, such as setting the size and color of subtitles and toggling color blind mode on or off.

The soothing soundtrack for Bright Paw is a great match for the laid-back style of the game, and we never grew bored or annoyed with any of the tunes. The voice acting by the narrator is very good, too, and when excited, he sounded a bit like John Cleese, which is amusing, to say the least. The quips that he makes if you take too long to move Theo around are also quite funny, but we can see how some players might find them annoying. Bright Paw can be played using either a controller or mouse, but we found the latter to be the most comfortable. In total, it took us about six hours to complete all the levels and then go back to find all the collectibles to earn 100% of the achievements in the game. The game remained enjoyable throughout and never got bogged down with illogical puzzles or unfair situations.

Bright Paw is a must-have for your library if you are a fan of felines and puzzle games. It offers a charming adventure through imaginative levels filled with puzzles that are satisfying to solve. Puzzle veterans might find the overall experience a little too easy, but younger players will appreciate the inclusion of an assist mode. The game is also very reasonably priced for what you get and comes highly recommended.

System Requirements

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: 10
  • Processor: x64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce 240 GT or Radeon HD 6570 – 1024 MB (1 gig)
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 5 GB available space
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: 10.15
  • Processor: x64 architecture with SSE2 instruction set support
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Metal capable Intel and AMD GPUs
  • Storage: 5 GB available space
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

Related posts

NEKOPARA Vol. 2

NEKOPARA Vol. 2

NEKOPARA Vol. 2 once again demonstrates why this series has such a loyal and fanatical following. The artwork by Sayori is as beautiful as always and the animations for the characters continue to impress. The story is still quite lighthearted, but focusses on slightly more serious issues compared to Vol. 1. The Steam version is once again censored, but comes with a lower price point, while the uncensored version cost a bit more, but features plenty of animated H-scenes. Gameplay: It is a kinetic novel, so there are no branching routes or choices to be made. Graphics: Stunning artwork and great animations. Sound: The voice acting is very good and so is the music although most of the tracks will be familiar.

Japanese School Life

Japanese School Life

Japanese School Life follows an American exchange student named Brian as he experiences life in Japan for a year. Most of this time is spent in the company of Chiyoko and Arisa, two girls in his class who take him under their wing to show him around. The game is mostly a kinetic novel, apart from a few instances where players can choose which girl Brian likes more. However, these choices do not lead to any type of romantic encounters and the focus of the game is on educating players about Japanese culture. It is a familiar concept to games like Go! Go! Nippon, but not quite as memorable, unfortunately. Gameplay: Apart from a few choices that don’t change much about the story the game is mostly a kinetic novel. Graphics: The only sprites in the game are for the two girls, but the e-mote system and lots of CGs make up for it. Sound: There are only a handful of music tracks, but the Japanese voice acting for Chiyoko and Arisa are really good.

LOVE BAKUDAN

LOVE BAKUDAN

Love Bakudan is an 18+ yuri visual novel with a unique premise and plenty of hot women to romance. When Haruka Mishimi inherits her grandmother's erotic bookstore, she moves back to her childhood home of Akiyama where she finds a bevy of beautiful customers waiting to frequent her shop. With six unique romance routes, a fun bookselling mini-game, and plenty of optional erotic stories to unlock, Love Bakudan belongs in the library of every yuri fan. Gameplay: Six romance routes that are completely unique from each other. Graphics: Plenty of backgrounds and some nice character designs. Sound: The music is good and there's plenty of great sound effects.

eden*

eden*

Although it might be set during the last days of a dying planet, Eden* is more about the personal struggles of its interesting cast. The story is wonderfully engaging though and definitely doesn’t pull any punches. Coupled with the amazing artwork and wonderful soundtrack this is a must for fans of the genre. Minori has a great track record when it comes to visual novels and Eden* is definitely amongst their finest. Gameplay: It is a kinetic novel, so there is no interaction or branching storyline, but the plot is engaging and heartfelt. Graphics: The visuals are outstanding despite the age of the game and features plenty of cinematic style illustrations. Sound: The Japanese voice actors do a great job and the soundtrack is incredible.

The Mortuary Assistant

The Mortuary Assistant

The Mortuary Assistant is a horror title where players must perform a series of stomach-churning tasks to prepare the deceased for burial. This would have been bad enough if it wasn't for the fact that the mortuary is also home to a demonic entity with its sights set on the protagonist, Rebecca Owens. Unless players can help Rebecca identify the demon and then burn it along with the correct body, she risks possession or worse. However, this is easier said than done when the clock is ticking, and paranormal activity is ramping up around her. Overall, The Mortuary Assistant is a must-own title for fans of the genre and one of the best horror games of 2022. Gameplay: The Mortuary Assistant is short but very replayable, and each shift will leave players on the edge of their seats. Graphics: The visuals are good, and the game knows how to use visual scare tactics well, but squeamish players might not enjoy the mortuary tasks. Sound: The voice acting is decent, and the ambient noises, as well as sound effects, are top-notch.

How to Take Off Your Mask

How to Take Off Your Mask

How To Take Off Your Mask is an otome game with a cast of likeable characters, an interesting scenario and plenty of humorous moments. It also features a couple of choices that branches the storyline, which along with the Steam Achievements, adds to the replay value. The writing is also good enough to draw in players who are not normally into otome titles, but check out the free demo first to see what the game has to offer. Gameplay: Fairly linear, but well written and with a branching storyline. Graphics: The game features charming visuals with plenty of detail for each character. Sound: The soundtrack is great and the game also features full Japanese voice acting.

Leave a comment

2 × 4 =