Big Hops Review – A Triumphant Return to 3D Platforming

Big Hops is a 3D platformer that breathes new life to the genre due to its unique mechanics. Here is my full review.

3D platformers have come a really long way. From the days of Super Mario 64, wrangling with the camera, to modern feats of acrobatics with ease on Super Mario Odyssey, it does not really seem that many games have challenged the red plumber’s throne. Enter Big Hops. An unassuming, childlike frog that runs, jumps, slides, and uses his tongue to move around. This deceptively simple set of moves is more than enough to deliver what is one of the best 3D platformers in years, daring to give players the tools to explore each smartly crafted course in a myriad of ways. This is one not to be missed by platforming fans.

Main character Hop lives with his mom and sister in a calm forest, dreaming to one day explore the world. Eventually getting the help of an interdimensional being called Diss, Hop is recruited to collect “Dark Drip” scattered across vibrant biomes from a desert to a sea to a mountain. The story is one big excuse to dart between these dazzling new worlds, and by the third act it all does culminate in one satisfying climax that puts your every bit of knowledge to the test. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Each area has its own burgeoning hub of NPCs with stores, side quests, and silly little exchanges with our daring world-hopping frog. A robust amount of customization options for Hop’s clothing is available, from his hat to top and bottom outfits—that can also be dyed several colors—to help make the journey wholly your own. The hidden Little Kitty, Big City hat is also a pleasant surprise. Side quests range from wacky to puzzling, a particular one tasking you with finding three sandwiches for a woman who believes the bread goes in the middle. There is no shortage of amusing moments throughout the adventure beyond the gameplay.

The fact that it is all fully voiced and expresses snarky, gentle, or sincere emotion depending on what the dialogue requires ends up improving the experience. While other indies opt for quirky Animal Crossing-esque sounds and fits perfectly as most players do not read dialogues, it works to Big Hops’ benefit to have voice acting because it ends up giving more life to each character: a bitter pirate, a mafia boss, a rig worker, and a rockstar. It is easy to brush off these secondary storylines to pursue Hop’s goal to go back to his family, but the struggles of these hapless creatures are well developed enough to care about them at the end of the day.

Now, you could be fooled into thinking that Big Hops is just an unassuming, family-friendly title with no real challenge, but that could not be further from the truth. Other than the obvious challenge levels that are hidden among the sections, there are plenty of difficult moments that test how well you have mastered Hop’s moveset. Featuring an extensive focus on momentum and precision, there is a beauty to truly grasping how the game works, and it all boils down to its lateral design. You see, there are veggies that grow on each landscape that completely upend what plans you had in mind to reach from point A to point B.

If there is one thing, anything, that you can see in the distance and ask yourself, Can I reach that? You probably can. It honestly is astounding the level of freedom this sandbox gives. And not only because of the set of acrobatic abilities this jumpy frog has, but also because of the more than 15 different veggies that he has access to. Fruits that spawn ropes, berries that throw balls to reach with your tongue and create momentum from, legumes that create vines, and peppers that are so spicy they catch fire are but a few examples. Being able to pull them from your backpack or growing them from the ground allows you to break the game or make each level as accessible as you wish to.

Big Hops does not conform to the norm of what 3D platforming has become. Big Hops shows a way forward in which player freedom intertwined with inventive mechanics allows for dynamic solutions to every level posed. There are so many ways to tackle levels that you will always scratch your head thinking, Did I do it the right way in the best sense?. That’s just how brilliant Big Hops systems are. It just gives you a load of tools and lets you roam free to your heart’s content.

Verdict

The movement and possibilities shown within Big Hops feel like a real jolt the genre needed. With high potential to become a speedrunner darling, the foundation Big Hops sits on is one ripe for exploration. It’s clever veggies, each with unique moves that let Hop float, swing, and zip through levels, making not only for an incredibly satisfying experience but, most importantly, for fun. An extremely competent platformer that asks you to think outside the box in what is even possible, Big Hops pushes the genre forward with new ideas that never cease to amaze. Welcome to 3D platforming paradise.

Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Bluesky to keep up to date on everything we have going on!