Ruffy and the Riverside Review – Analysis

Adventures are fun, right? But, oh boy, sometimes they get a little rough. Or maybe “Ruff,” if we’re diving into puns. Speaking of which, there’s this wacky game—Ruffy and the Riverside. Imagine a world that’s like a puzzle IKEA threw up in a whimsical forest. You play as Ruffy, this bear critter, kinda like if an Ewok decided to headline a hero saga, with magical powers to switch up his environment. It’s got charm. It’s got pace. But, yeah, some bumps too. Like when you think you’ve nailed life, and then… oh wait, guess not.

So, where are we in Ruffy’s story? Riverside. An entire universe hinging on one cubish villain. Conquer the cube, save the world. Simple, classic. Sort of like Mario’s castle – just with more “What am I supposed to be doing again?” moments. While in action, you meet all these weird folks and tricky tasks. Oh, and ladders. Loads of ladders. Climb down the middle or else you’re doomed to slide right off like butter on a hot pan – super fun, I know.

Let’s talk about this absorbing-swap mechanic thing. It’s pretty wild—grab a texture here, swap it there. Some puzzles are like “Bam, done!” and others… well, not so much. Sometimes feels like you’re just poking a keyboard randomly hoping something clicks. I had one of those *drum roll* epiphany moments. You know, the ones where you finally figure it out after enough trial and error? Except, lots of head-scratching comes first.

Controls? Oh, they’re a trip. Ruffy speeds around like a squirrel on espresso, but try being precise? Ha.

So many redos. Collecting coins makes it a little better—whether you boost health or grab a rad new outfit for Ruffy. Honestly, I spent coins just to bypass some of the puzzles. Yep, impatience at its best.

Picture this: early puzzles where you swap water with leaves (say what?) or stone becomes wood. They’re clever, until it’s rinse and repeat, and suddenly I’m just checking boxes. Like, okay, no more matching games, please!

Soundtrack’s on the lighter side, adding a sprinkle of humor. And Ruffy’s dance moves? Definitely a highlight. The art’s bright and a bit edgy but in a “let’s splash some color randomly” way. The intro kind of gabs on and on though. Short and sweet would’ve been great.

All in all, Ruffy’s world is like diving into a storybook adventure that forgot to filter its quirky chaos. Somehow it all works—mostly. Played it on the Switch 2, and hey, it runs alright, and there’s plenty for anyone wanting to collect every little thing under the sun. Puzzles can be a mix of genius and “why am I doing this again?” moments, but the whole swap vibe keeps it fresh. Maybe not perfectly polished, but this is one Riverside journey I’d gladly take a splash in.