The style in The Last Tinker is what truly helps it stand out from the others in the genre. When I first turned on the game for the first time, I was drawn into a world that looked taken straight out of an art project. The world is made from molded paper and paint, props look like they’re handcrafted from cardboard, strips of green paper flutter in the breeze to simulate grass. Each of the city’s districts have a different vibe and feel that helps craft a diverse city of color.
Koru learns how to fight very early on in The Last Tinker with a much more accessible version of the combat that’s been becoming more and more popular with the Assassin’s Creed or Arkham series of games. Koru has the dexterity to assault foes with basic punches with relative ease, dodging and flipping about to avoid attacks and continue the assault with no problems. Much of the more complex actions like target management or last-second evasion are stripped away from the game, leaving a much more streamlined combo system that even someone who simply mashes the square button over and over can get into. Health is rather plentiful in The Last Tinker, and a checkpoint is never far behind if Koru ever does fall in combat.
As Koru liberates the city of colors and grows in power with the spirits, new moves are added to his arsenal. A green punch might turn enemies into cowards that run from Koru whereas a blue punch can overcome an enemy with sadness, leaving them vulnerable to an attack from behind. These attacks help add more diversity to Koru’s movelist, but outside of a number of environment or combat puzzles, a standard punch will do just fine
Platforming follows a more modern convention on Koru’s journey. A jump button is stripped away and replaced with an easily accessible freerun button. Holding down the R2 will make Koru vault and freerun any outstretched poles or environmental set piece as he transitions around from one platform to the next. The platforming felt very fluid and direct without any timing to worry about, perfect for kids that want to enjoy the world without the frustration of falling to ones doom. Trial and error is an important part of exploration in The Last Tinker and there’s never a time where you’ll feel that having to retry is much of a hindrance at all.
The Last Tinker features a number of other gameplay moments that separate it from just platforming and combat. A quick trip through a guarded tower early on leads Koru to sneak around a number of lantern-wielding guards in one of the more basic and by-the-numbers stealth sequences in recent years. More activities open up later on that stand out much more than the stealth sequence, such as a crime scene investigation or conducting an orchestra.
The Last Tinker: City of Colors is an experience that the whole family can enjoy. Players that thought the combat to Knack was too challenging will find something more laid back and accessible. Fans that long for a new Jak and Daxter won’t be disappointed either, as the platforming and combat feels like it was made with modern conventions in mind. It may not be the most challenging game out there, but The Last Tinker has a certain style that makes it endearing to gamers of any age.
