Platform: PS Vita (tested), Switch
Released: April 2018
I love my PlayStation Vita. The portable console which has endured so much neglect from its creator has quietly been a great playground for visual novels and quirky indie titles for those who want to enjoy its resources. Enter Sir Eatsalot. It has been so long since a game has actually used almost all the novelties and fun that the Vita can provide that even before playing the game I was embracing it with open arms. Thankfully the game holds up during playthrough too.
Don’t put Hysterica near any Dalmations!Sir Eatsalot is a 2D side-scrolling platform adventure. Keeping the titular character fed means he’ll be more robust to attack and parry against various foes as he walks through often food-themed worlds on various fetch quests. Movement and battles are quite slow and deliberate but it allows you to plan ahead and block with your shield before choosing your time to attack. As more areas open up, you’ll be able to traverse between and around them using not just your character, but the front and rear touchpads to move objects about to help you. Even the game makes a joke about it giving you a trophy for using the rear touchpad on the first go entitled “Yes! We Use the Rear Touchpad too!” – and hurrah for that.
Whilst Sir Eatsalot bounces around, make sure to poke the screen to get all those juicy fruitsHumour and charm are without a doubt some of Sir Eatsalot’s biggest draws. Between levels, which are filled with cute and zany characters spewing weird dialogue, Hysterica, the Disney-like bad witch, is busy channelling her inner Cruella De Ville to great comedic effect. It’s this, alongside with the attention to detail outside of the main quest that raises the games bar. Whilst the main quest is relatively standard, albeit done well, you have plenty of other things to do. Tapping the screen lets you eat the dropping fruit and veg, maybe collecting an animal as a sticker or finding hidden passages to enjoy. It’s all wrapped together in a charming hand-drawn cartoon aesthetic. It oozes charm from start to end and even though the game is hardly a massive challenge, you’ll enjoy the time spent with it because it does a rare thing – it puts a smile on your face. Gaming is often too serious these days – Sir Eatsalot is a great antidote.
The battle mechanics are slow but deliberate and therefore forgivingA copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review.
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