Welcome to our review of Muddledash, another indie game hitting the switch eShop that only has a multiplayer mode.
Muddledash is a couch-competitive octopus racing game. You are a wriggly little octopus, trying to get to the most bopping party of the year with a gift in your tentacles before all your friends. Just one catch – there’s only one gift. Fashionably late is now out of season.
I was disappointed to find out this game only works as a multiplayer game, with at least two players needed, I could not just play alone but I had to ask my wife for assistance. She most definitely enjoyed it much more than I did. It is simplistic in controls and premise. Grab the present and be the first to arrive at the party!
You can hit other players, which will make the one holding the present drop it and then you can take over. Throughout the run to the party, you got loops, bounces and tall grass that you need to cross. There are also firing stations that allow you to fire away at the one in the lead. What I also liked, despite how hectic it often felt, falling behind is covered by respawning well within range. Obviously, you can use this to your advantage as I am quite sure it was intended to be abused by the developers!
Racing itself is actually quite fun, there are often numerous ways to get to the party. Take the top route or the one in the bottom. Jump over a ledge or go down the chute, … The variety is present and the game premise is fun and pretty simple as an idea, well balanced yes, but what happened to my single player mode. It is bound to get a lot more playtime that way.
I do not intend to nag about this, but really… You boot up the game and can’t even get to a single game without a player 2 at hand. Sure, the game is just a few euros, which is awesome. It is well worth its price in my humble opinion, but the game is actually nothing outstanding enough to keep it on my home screen. My wife and I played it this past week, a few days even, one day it had already dropped from the home screen. I fear its longevity may suffer from the forced multiplayer mode.
I have to admit it was more fun than I expected it to be, so I will give due credit there. Even after losing more than just a few matches against my beloved wife, there is fun to be had in this game that originally started out as a physics-driven animation. If you always got a player 2 at hand, do get this game, but as a single player mostly…
In conclusion, Muddledash is fun though the need for a second player might be what prevents this game from becoming a real hit. Though in all fairness, it might be a hit at parties!
My rating is 60%, that lack of a single player mode…
