They say that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Which is exactly why whenever I write reviews, I wear my furry Chewbacca bath robe. You don’t get quite as disparate, or quite as wide of a gap, as a lowly beggar literally wearing the face of god and getting godlike power in the process. That’s quite the promotion! And it’s also the premise of the lovely puzzle platformer and debut App Store game from Bad Seed, The Beggar’s Ride ($3.99).
With its spiritual themes, soft 3D art style, and interesting powers, I was immediately reminded of 2012’s mobile and WiiWare titles, LostWinds ($3.99) and LostWinds2: Winter of Melodias ($3.99). I think the developers were likely inspired by these games too. They have similar pacing, a similar tone, and similar relaxing yet occasionally frustrating gameplay. Playing as the titular beggar, one day you happen upon the resting place of a god. A strange land floating in the sky with religious iconography and temples littered about. You also find a mask which gives you the godlike power to move the clouds in the sky and create rain.
Before long, you find more masks. These masks fold into one single mask and increase your power set. The second mask lets you tilt the level to affect gravity and slide things about. The third lets you slide special pieces of ground along designated paths. The fourth and final mask lets you control the sun and moon in the sky, switching between day and night at will. You can also shoot beams of light from the sun, and cycle through the phases of the lunar cycle. Whenever you put the mask on, everything becomes illuminated and golden, with interactive objects highlighted in red. When in god mode, however, you can no longer move, so you’ll have to switch back and forth. You’re not alone in this world, as little crystalline creatures that are too sharp to touch, ancient stone guardians that hurl rocks at your head, and a handful of evil shades are walking about well.
The game is a little bit like a Metroidvania. It’s mostly one big interconnected world. Certain check points actually act as teleportation points, so you can easily go back to older areas and search for any collectibles you missed. There are one or two little alcoves that can’t be reached unless you come back to an old area with new powers. It’s not as much of a Metroidvania as LostWinds, but it’s somewhat in the same spirit. Mostly it’s a matter of puzzle solving over exploration. And the puzzles can be very creative. Only a few were frustrating brain busters. The majority of them were satisfying.
What makes some puzzles frustrating is not difficulty of design, but of execution due to the stiff platforming. Many puzzles don’t rely on any platforming skills, but the ones that do suffer for it. This doesn’t exactly play like Super Meat Boy. You can switch between touch or virtual button controls. The virtual stick seems to be the infinitely better option for movement. Jumping is the same in either mode, where you tap above the beggar’s head. Certain ledges/corners can be grabbed and climbed onto, but it’s super difficult to tell which ones you can and cannot do so with. It almost seems arbitrary. I wish more time was put into the platforming as it’s unsatisfying in the end.
Aside from those main gripes, everything is pretty solid. The story, told mainly through text that is floating throughout the world, is simple, nicely written, and occasionally voice acted pretty well by the narrator. A story of fallen gods cursed by nature herself. The final area of the game is pretty darn climactic for a puzzle game. There are no collectibles save for one at the very beginning as you climb a divine tree full of some of the toughest puzzles in the game. It’s all topped off with a final boss that is a nightmare fuel monstrosity straight out of a JRPG, with the perfect accompanying song to boot. I mean, what even is that thing? *shudder*
Once you’ve seen them, you can read the main chapters of the story at any point form the main menu, and the game is available in multiple languages. Game Center achievements are also present. I’ve been pulling my hair out over the collectible statue thingies. I have 510 out of the total 513. One of those you get for collecting all of the other 512 collectibles in the game. 2. I’m missing 2 freaking collectibles. I’ve spent over an hour scouring the area I know they are hiding in. The game tells you how many collectibles are in each level. Sadly, I have to resolve the same puzzles over and over again as I search, as many of them reset once you’ve moved on to another area. The completionist in me is crying and screaming because of these 2 collectibles.
JUST LOOK AT THE TOP RIGHT CORNER, MY GOD!
Deep breaths… Deep breaths… I need a few seconds, I’ll be right back after this trailer.
Okay, I feel better. Anyway. All in all, taking the time to look for most of the collectibles, this game will take you 2 to 3 hours to play, not counting my obsessive hour of searching. Most of the game is polished to a shine, aside from the drawbacks I’ve mentioned. It’s a solid, finished game at a premium price with no IAP to boot. If you like puzzle platformers, and if you like games like LostWinds, this is a must buy. A short, sweet, and fairly brilliant ride through a colorful and imaginative world.
