In a world based on beautify, vivid color, the worst thing that can happen is an invasion by the Bleakness. A pox that devours the color–and the emotions that come from the color–leaving the world dull and lifeless. In The Last Tinker: City of Colors, The Bleakness is coming and it’s up to one monkey-faced boy named Koru and his strange floating friend to save the day.
The Last Tinker was originally developed by Mimimi Productions for MS Windows and OS X and Linux, but was recently converted to the PlayStation 4 by Loot Entertainment. The action is very reminiscent of the recent “toys to life” games like Skylanders, only without the added expense of buying hundreds of little toys. Koru solves simple puzzles disguised as tasks, which opens up new sections of the world as the story unfolds.
Combat is simplified to a few button presses and hit detection is rudimentary at best, which basically means if Koru is somewhat close and facing an enemy, he will hit it. There are some cool dodging techniques, but experienced gamers will have no trouble with any of the baddies.
The story is equally simplified, and voice acting is replaced with strange character noises and word balloons. There is a decent amount if reading involved, but since the player decides the pace, The Last Tinker could be used as a reading tool for youngsters. And that may be the best/worst thing about the game: it is so saccharin that older gamers could be turned off by the simplicity, even at the higher difficulty levels.
The graphics is where The Last Tinker: City of Colors really shines. The environments are eye candy in every way and the color palette of the PS4 is in full effect. There is some annoying blur when Koru is rail skating around the various areas, but for the most part the running and climbing is clean.
The music is very calming, adding to the effect of The Last Tinker being a “kids” game, but it could also be considered a reprieve from the countless violent, serious games flooding the market. Case in point, The Last Tinker hit the PSN the same day as Diablo III: Reaper of Souls: Ultimate Evil Edition. Talk about extremes.
The Last Tinker: City of Colors is a fun game to play, but there is little to no challenge to anyone who plays games even semi-regularly. It would be perfect for younger players or less-experienced gamers looking for an escape into a world rich in vibrant color, and after taking on demon after demon in Diablo III or trekking through a ruined United States in The Last of Us, sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and let a game entertain you.
The Last Tinker: City of Colors was reviewed on PS4 and furnished by Loot Entertainment for the purposes of this review. It is available now for the PlayStation 4 via download in the PlayStation Store.