A Hat in Time

Played this game years ago as a child when it first came out and it was really fun and wonderful, but due to my horrible shabby Macbook that couldn't even run properly, Steam never registered any of the achievements for me and the game always crashed when I tried fighting the Conductor/DJ Grooves every time. Now it's years later and with all the DLCs bought, I started a new save and genuinely 100%'d everything (even Death Wish) and replaying everything was so whimsical and amazing.

I genuinely have never been more impressed by a game I've revisited. A Hat in Time was always, to me at least, one of the first noteworthy Indie games to me and one I remembered very fondly for how adorable it was. But goodness, having actually replayed it recently over the last two weeks-- it's more than just a fond memory. It's a genuine contender for best platformer I've played. I really can't do it much justice in words, I never anticipated to feel so much coming back to it. Some of it's nostalgia for happier days I'm sure, but there's a weight and a logic to way everything carries itself in this game. Moving and exploration feels so very purposeful, and the game respects your actions in the fantastic sound design and music. If you haven't given a try, do me a favor and try to next time it's on sale. And if you haven't played it at all really since release, please give it another go. I think you'll find yourself surprised by the passion of Gears for Breakfast.

Overall, I do recommend this game. It's a combination of a 3D platformer similar to ones Nintendo made, but given its own mechanics and world. It is NOT perfect, but it's good enough for me to come back to multiple times. Cons: - Poorly optimized (especially the DLC areas) [although this could be my PC] - The platforming physics can sometimes feel irritating until you understand how you'll jump off stuff and what/what isn't grabbable. - There's not "really" a story? The characters in the game are fantastic but I wouldn't say they all connect to an overarching narrative besides for the final boss. Despite the above, still give this game a shot, steam has the refund window for a reason and two hours is more than enough to get past World 1.