Another week, another backlog game that got lost in the infinite void that is my Steam library. Frogun has been out for almost two years and I am just getting to it now. Backlogs are backlogs for a reason and my reason is that I don’t have one; it just got away from me. Anyway, This week is Frogun.

Frogun is a 3D platformer from Molegato and Top Hat Studios, Inc. Frogun was released in August 2022 for the PC and all the consoles. The game retails for $15.

Frogun is about Renata, the daughter of world-renowned archeologists and adventurers. After making camp at the long-lost ruins of Beelzebub, Renata’s parents determined that this time they should leave their daughter behind. After not returning for three days, and bored out of her mind, Renata decides it is up to her to find and save her parents, in a 90s Saturday morning cartoon style with their last invention, the Frogun.

Frogun is all about the namesake. Renata is dropped into a level and is tasked with getting coins, gems, and obsidian skulls and coming in under the clear time for maximum value. The Frogun can shoot its tongue out to attach to a wall and pull Renata to that spot, placing platforming at the forefront of the game. The platforming is fun and is evolving throughout the game, for better or worse. Whether it be jungle ruins, lava ruins, or ice caves, the platforming is consistent though the camera makes platforming difficult on occasion.

The camera is isometric, giving the Froguns levels a more 3D feel. Levels start out small and require less from the camera, but towards the end of the game dependency on the camera is a must. Levels are intricate, making the player use the camera to find hidden spaces and areas that contain a sub-level to obtain the obsidian skull, so mastering the camera is pertinent to the core gameplay. On occasion, even mastering the camera can result in a game over when the camera cannot adequately position correctly to see the next jump.

Along with the wonky camera is an awkward Frogun traversal method. The player will be using the Frogun a lot and there are two modes to aim the gun; free aim and a little more concise alternative. Overall, the Frogun works, but the implementation doesn’t feel right. there were times when in the heat of the moment I needed to snap aim at a specific spot and just dart myself over to the next platform and it just did not work. The red X can come up and you can shoot, but at the last second, Renata won’t connect with the next platform and then it is a game over.

The main Frogun mechanic can work just not when the game wants to become, at times, a precision platformer.

I think that level design is good but begins to decline during the last hour of the game. Each section of levels introduces a new mechanic that will help Renata get through levels, for example, grappling onto jump pads to get to high ground, or a system of walkways that can only be seen when close by. It keeps the levels interesting and keeps the player engaged for the most part.

The levels start out small and the player can generally understand where to go but as the game progresses the levels get bigger and the end of the level begins to fade and sometimes gets lost. For instance, there are cave-themed levels and there were multiple times when I was just running around, swinging the camera back and forth trying to find a way to the exit. The section before the final boss really takes that cake as the levels are HUGE and there are branching paths, indicated by dotted lines where players have to find a button to step on to reveal the way just clutters up the already loaded screen.

I really do like the racing sections. I think they create a nice contrast to the “at your own pace” that the regular levels give.

The graphics really hit the 90s N64 theme. You got low poly everything, with the pixelated skybox in the background. You got cute dangerous-looking bags, moles, and spiders and the game is just so damn colorful. All of the areas have so much love put into them.

Altered Ego really nailed Frogun’s soundtrack. The first few themes have a nice, somber tone THEN, out of nowhere, it goes a little too hard. In the last section, whether it be the lava dungeon or the final area, the music ramps up and really got my head bopping.

Frogun is a good, safe video game. It doesn’t do much to push the boundaries and it does the thing well enough. There were times when the camera made a mockery of my platforming skills, forcing me to put down the game for a moment before I got too heated. Other than that, The game does last a lot longer than I wanted it to at around four hours. I blew through the game to finish it and if I had taken my time it would have definitely been around five and a half to six hours of simple platforming.

The soundtrack is great, the gameplay is good enough when the camera wants to work and it looks great. It does last a while but it is still fun.

7/10