When I was a kid, I really loved the show ‘CatDog’, a funny cartoon telling the adventures of a cat and a dog that were connected by their bellies. PHOGS! instantly reminded me of that cartoon, as you’ll take control over two dogs ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’who are connected to each other with their bellies as well. The goal of the game is to clear several traditional platforming worlds while finding all the secrets and hidden objects. It all sounds pretty straightforward but thanks to our new heroes, this isn’t just another one of those mediocre platforming games.
Work together as one
When you start PHOGS! for the first time, you’ll have to decide if you’re playing it on your own or in local co-op. In my opinion, this is a pure co-op game and is most enjoyable in good company. In co-op, each players takes command over one dog, the catch being that you’re constantly connected to each other. If you want to move in a certain direction, you’ll need to discuss your strategy and work together as one in order to solve all the puzzles. Most of these puzzles are rather simple in ideas but the fact that you’re controlling a two-headed creature makes it a lot more challenging. By grabbing, barking, and stretching your body, you’ll be challenged to solve different puzzles found in several themed worlds. It’s a bit of classic approach to the platforming genre but it actually works surprisingly well. I played this with my girlfriend and right from the start, we had a blast playing this little gem. The design of Red and Blue immediately made us smile and the way they bounce around in the gorgeously created world is as fun as it looks.
Conquer worlds, collect everything
At its core, PHOGS! feels like a traditional oldskool platforming game and that’s a good thing. Just like in the old days, the worlds are filled with fun details and secrets, making it worth your time discovering everything. I really liked how the worlds came to life and how original and crazy the designs were. It’s clear to see that a lot of time and love went into the creation of the world, resulting in some truly original places to visit. The style is rather cartoony so it’s one of those game that’s perfect to play with your younger children as well, although some of the puzzles might be a bit too challenging for the younger ones. Although it all looks like something you’ve done before, it’s a truly different experience thanks to the two connected dogs. What starts as a fun gimmick slowely transforms into a rather deep mechanic. If you want to discover and collect everything, you better prepare to work together like you’ve never worked together before.
Since you’re constantly connected to each other, you’ll need to combine your powers. Want to reach the top of the platform? You better search your environment for some anchors. This constantly searching for solutions is extremely fun and even addictive when you’re playing together with a friend. It happened a lot that we went for ‘just one more’ level which resulted in hours of fun. The game is well created and is packed with original and unforgettable moments. To make things even more challenging, your dogs don’t have paws so they move around like a snake. Lacking true traction to the ground, this can become pretty tricky the more you advance. The way Red and Blue move together is as fun as it is challenging. It’s not an extremely hard game per see but if you want to collect everything, you better prepare to grind your co-op skills.
Conclusion:
PHOGS! is an original and extremely fun co-op game filled with gorgeously created worlds and secrets. Playing this together with a friend will make you smile instantly and that smile won’t disappear while playing. It’s for sure one of the more original and fun games in its genre and worth playing without any doubt!
