Platypus Reclayed Review

Twenty-two years ago, a horizontal shooting game called Platypus was released for the PC. This title is known for its claymation design and was controlled using the mouse. The game is back with updated gameplay, a more polished look, and new weapons — we have Platypus Reclayed.

Before we start, I can’t even express how amazing Platypus Reclayed looks. There are two different display options available to select from: 1080p or 4K. All the assets in the game were actually handcrafted with clay, then photographed and put into Photoshop to remove the unwanted backgrounds. Everything is vibrant and obviously handmade, giving this game a wonderfully unique look that sets it apart from any other shoot ’em up title I have played before.

With that out of the way, I was excited to see what the actual game was like. I have never played the original, but I have played many horizontal shoot ’em up titles, so I was interested to see if Platypus Reclayed would feel like all those other titles or if there was something else unique going on here.

Platypus Reclayed has full controller support, along with mouse controls on PC if you want to play it the old-school way. The game can be played solo or with someone else in local co-op, where you both fly and take out all the enemies on screen. This is a true bullet-hell game that will have your adrenaline pumping, no matter which difficulty you select. Once you get through the first area into the second, you will be able to start your next playthrough from there; you don’t need to go all the way back to the beginning, which is much appreciated.

Each difficulty has a different model of aircraft to select from, and each has unique attack, shield, and speed stats. On Beginner, you fly the T-11 Plover; on Regular, you pilot the F-27 Platypus. For both ships, power-ups act as shields, giving you a bit of a barrier from enemy fire. Once you get to the Advanced difficulty, you control the X-18 Wyvern, which looks super cool, but you don’t get that additional shield perk, making it tougher.

You can also select your ship’s colour from red, purple, pink, orange, green, blue, grey, or yellow. When playing co-op, I made sure to select one that was completely different from my partner’s, as the screen can get very chaotic, making it easy to lose track of your craft.

As you fly through levels and defeat enemies, you will find stars; these are actually weapons for your ship. When you pick them up, they do not stack like in other titles; instead, they replace the gun you currently have and last for a short amount of time, only 30 seconds, before you are back to your default gun. Remember the letter of the weapon you like so that if you see one you don’t want, you can shoot the star and get the points for destroying it. One of my favourite weapons is the star marked with a ?!. Instead of shooting regular bullets, you blast fish (all made out of clay) at the enemy. This weapon was so bizarre and silly! I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are some other crazy guns to discover as you progress.

There are four different areas you will travel through: the Mungolan Fields, Above the Clouds, Volcanic Archipelago, and the final stage, Within Collosatropolis. It is a clay city full of high-rise apartment buildings, covered in a layer of smog. There is so much depth between the foreground and background elements that it feels like you could reach into the screen and touch it. My favourite part about this area is that you can pick up a laser weapon. I can’t describe the immense feeling of loss you have when your power-up ends and the laser is gone. This weapon is amazing when the screen is overwhelmed with enemy ships and bullets.

I apparently have a bad habit of not blinking enough when I play this game. There is so much going on at once; I don’t want to miss anything, so my poor eyes are burning and tears are running down my face. Plus, it doesn’t help that Platypus Reclayed is incredibly addictive; I didn’t want to stop playing. I just had to keep trying again until I got through the stage.

This is a super challenging title; even on Easy, I died a lot! But it wasn’t because of bad controls — it was just me messing up and not avoiding enemy attacks. There is nothing more satisfying than getting to the end of a stage and seeing your evaluation, showing the percentage of minor and major enemies you destroyed and how many points you earned. You gain a credit (continue) when you complete a full area, and if you get over 5000 points, you earn an additional life.

If you need a break from the hectic gameplay, head over to the Gallery in the Main Menu. Here, you can see all the clay models, from the ships you fly and the enemy aircraft you fight to the structures in the environment. They even show how they modified the models to make them look damaged. It’s impressive to see the insane amount of work that went into making this title. Platypus Reclayed is truly a project full of love!

I absolutely love everything about this game. Platypus Reclayed looks and sounds amazing; it is challenging, but not so much that I want to quit and never return. The four different areas all feel fresh and distinct. I can’t wait to go back to challenge a harder difficulty, or play through with someone else in co-op — hopefully with a partner who doesn’t give up because they think it’s too hard. If you are a fan of horizontal shoot ’em ups that challenge you and keep you hooked, you need to play this game. You will probably die (a lot), but you won’t want to stop playing — it’s just that good!