Ruffy and the Riverside Review – An Analysis

Adventure and Unexpected Flubs with Ruffy

Alright, so there’s this game, “Ruffy and the Riverside.” It’s like one of those 3D adventures where you’re thrown into this massive world, solving puzzles left and right. Ruffy, a bear that kinda gives off Star Wars ewok vibes (no clue why that’s the comparison, but it works), can mess with the world around him—which is cool until it isn’t. It’s mostly fun, but sometimes… well, stuff just doesn’t work the way you’d hope. Frustration city, ya know?

So, Riverside—Ruffy’s playground—is in peril. This weird cube thing wants to cause havoc. Ruffy? He’s gotta step up, become the hero (how cliché is that?), and gather letters to save the world. If you’ve ever played something like Super Mario 64, it’s like that. A big hub with smaller spots to explore. But those ladders, man—climbing them is an art. You’d think it’s simple, but nah, miss the middle and you’re in for a tumble.

Now, Ruffy’s got this neat trick: absorb stuff and swap it. Sounds straightforward, right? Wrong. Sometimes you see a solution, other times it’s a wild guessing game. When you crack a puzzle, it’s like, “Ha! Take that!” But I’ve also stared at the same problem forever, just flailing around, hoping something clicks. Puzzle lovers might vibe with it, or maybe not. Depends on whether it jives with your brain.

Then there’s the controls. Ruffy’s quick, but kinda stumbly too. You’ll be jumping around and suddenly—boom!—right back to a checkpoint miles away. And let me tell you, redoing the same bit over and over can really grind your gears. Coins? Yeah, you can trade ‘em for health or snazzy looks. But me? I’d spend them to breeze through a puzzle now and then.

To paint you a picture: one early puzzle’s got you swapping waterfall water with leaves to climb around. Or maybe turning stone to wood—just so they float right. But cross my heart, some of these tasks are like, “Didn’t I just do this?” Redoing stuff isn’t my idea of fun. Once is cool; thrice is torture.

The music and sound effects? Light and giggly, fitting the silly bear and his antics. Everything’s bright and hand-drawn, simple yet alive with color. They nailed the comedy, though they could trim the intro—it drags a bit.

In essence, “Ruffy and the Riverside” is a mixed bag. Lots of charm, some rough patches. I tried it on the Switch 2, and there’s a ton for obsessive collectors. Puzzles range from “Oh, that’s smart” to “This is driving me mad.” The whole swap mechanic gives it a fresh spin compared to other action-adventures. Sure, it’s got its Ruffy spots, but Riverside? I’d splash around in it any day.