Papo & Yo Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: PS3
Dev: Minority
Pub: Sony
Release: August 14, 2012
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Fantasy Violence

Still, these issues won't matter much once you get pulled into the story. I have to be honest here, I could not put this game down until I finished it; I was completely sucked in from very early on.

Papo & Yo Screenshot

Yet this brings me to a couple other complaints that people will undoubtedly raise against Papo & Yo. First of all, the game is incredibly short. I completed my first playthrough in under four hours. Knowing exactly where to go and not feeling so inclined to explore various nooks and crannies, you could easily cut that down to about two hours or so.

And this is made even more problematic when you consider how easy the game is. The entire game is a series of puzzles, yet these puzzles never end up getting very difficult. I came across one or two instances where I was stumped for a little bit, but once I fooled around for a few minutes, I realized the answers were staring me in the face. This is in direct contrast to the ICO references I've been making, as I can specifically remember several places where I had to just put ICO down and walk away from it before coming back later with a fresh mind. Papo & Yo has no such moments.

Ultimately, though, you'll play Papo & Yo for the story, for the characters, and for its fascinating surrealistic world. It's an experience that can penetrate even the thickest of skin, and it will make you feel something. What that is, I can't exactly say, but this is an emotional journey you won't soon forget. It's a short journey, but it's packed densely enough with cool stuff to see and do that I would enthusiastically encourage you to pay the fifteen-dollar asking price.

By
Josh Wirtanen
Editor / News Director
Date: August 16, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

2.5

Graphics
Fantastic environments, though they're soiled by some terribly awkward animations and character textures.

4.2

Control
Controls are simple, and they seem to work as they should.

4.8

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The music is incredible, and the voiceovers (though not in English) sound pretty great.

3.5

Play Value
Some will complain about the game's shortness and its easy puzzles. The story and the atmosphere, however, will make up for this.

4.2

Overall Rating - Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Papo & Yo will take players on an emotional journey that explores the relationship between a boy and his sometimes-scary best friend.

As players progress, Monster will react differently to their actions based on his current desires. If Monster is in a good mood, he will play with Quico and help with tasks; if Monster is hungry, he will seek out food; if that food happens to be a poisonous frog, he'll transform into a terrifying killing machine bent on nothing but destruction.

Players will need to learn to use Monster's emotions, both good and bad, to their advantage if they want to complete their search for a cure and save their pal.