Evening Star, the creative force behind the acclaimed Sonic Mania, returns with Penny’s Big Breakaway—a 3D platformer that serves as an ambitious love letter to the late ‘90s genre, though it struggles with technical inconsistencies.
Mastering Momentum and Yo-Yo Mechanics
As Penny, a street performer empowered by a cosmic yo-yo, players traverse 11 vibrant worlds filled with high-energy music and creative stage design. The core movement is where the game truly shines; once players master the rhythm of jumping, swinging, and rolling, the combo system feels incredibly fluid. However, the combat system introduces frustration, as the double-tap input for attacks often triggers an accidental dash, frequently sending players plummeting off cliffs.
Level Design and Exploration
The game excels when players are allowed to maintain speed. Evening Star has crafted expertly designed courses that reward momentum and offer branching paths for those seeking collectibles to unlock bonus stages. While the level design is top-tier, the experience is occasionally hindered by a fixed camera that limits exploration and recurring bugs where players clip through stage geometry, forcing frustrating checkpoint restarts.
The Challenges of Depth and Clutter
The most significant barrier to enjoyment is a persistent struggle with depth perception. Throughout the campaign, missing “easy” jumps becomes a common occurrence because the game’s visual perspective makes it difficult to judge Penny’s exact location relative to platforms. Relying on shadows for positioning becomes a constant mental chore that detracts from the fun.
Visual Chaos and UI Obstacles
The screen often becomes overcrowded, particularly when swarms of pursuing penguins obscure the action. This visual noise, combined with an intrusive UI that triggers during side missions, frequently forces players to perform “leaps of faith” without clear visibility of their surroundings.
Ultimately, Penny’s Big Breakaway is a solid 3D platformer held back by its own technical shortcomings. Despite its superb movement mechanics and imaginative level design, these recurring issues prevent the game from reaching the greatness it clearly aimed to achieve.
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