Video Game Review: Giraffe and Annika

Giraffe and Annika

Atelier Mimina

Platform Adventure/Rhythm Game

Playstation 4

Giraffe and Annika is a very odd but creative blend of genres; three parts silly and cartoony platformer, one part rhythm game, and one part surprisingly emotional narrative. The game follows Amnesiac Catgirl Annika as she tries to help the other titular character, Giraffe, collect three magical artifacts for reasons all while competing with the mischievous Lilly for those same artifacts. At first, this all feels very much like an excuse plot to deliver the jokes and cute art but even from the start, there are hints that something bigger and more serious is going on, hints which are ultimately followed through on. Without giving any spoilers, the story’s resolution feels at once triumphant, heartwarming, and bittersweet.

But I’m jumping ahead a little bit. Aside from the story being worth experiencing, the game is fun to play even if a little simplistic at times. The entire game takes place on a small island with five “dungeons” scattered about it, and in addition to having to traverse the dungeons themselves, Annika is required to do some minor puzzle-solving to get most of the dungeons open in the first place. At first, the player is only able to run around, swim for short periods, and interact with some things, but the first three dungeons each give more traversal options upon completion. You gain the ability to jump, swim for longer, and dash as the game progresses. The platforming is easy and almost too straightforward at times, but it still feels good because it can help you unwind after a stressful day of whatever else.

At the end of each dungeon comes the other part of the gameplay, which is a very simplistic rhythm game. You have two points on opposite sides of a line and you have to make sure Annika is at the appropriate point to hit the buttons with proper timing while also avoiding attacks in the later songs. Despite being one of the more simply designed rhythm games I’ve seen it was still engaging and even challenging on the highest difficulty (thanks in no small part to the quality of the songs themselves). On the other hand, the margin for getting the best grade on the highest difficulty is frustratingly narrow, such that you can hit every note and avoid every obstacle and still not get it. Combined with some occasional slight stuttering, trying to get that good ol’ S-rank can be very frustrating in a way most rhythm games aren’t.

Again, though, the songs are fun and it’s easy to find yourself bopping along to them even as you’re playing one for the fifteenth time in a row. The overworld and dungeon themes are also catchy and give the game some major whimsy points. For that matter, everything about this game gives the game major whimsy points. The characters Annika encounters are all cute and colorful, and while the graphics may look a little stiff at times it’s still pretty in that early ps3 kind of way that honestly means that aspect only adds to the game’s charm.  The only other complaint I can really field is that the camera and movement feel a bit floaty but, once again, that’s not a huge deal since the platforming sections don’t require any great degree of precision.

It wouldn’t take much for Giraffe and Annika to be a mediocre game. A few more flaws and I’d have enjoyed my time with it a lot less, but as things stand the good qualities far outweigh any of its limitations and I find myself willing – eager, even – to overlook them.