Snake Pass looks like a clear callback to the days of colorful 3D platformers like Banjo Kazooie,Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64. The genre is trying to experience a renaissance of sorts with Yooka Laylee doing so well with its kickstarter campaign and now Snake Pass seeing the light of day.
Snake Pass takes place in the world of Haven Tor and is described as a physics based, puzzle platform adventure game. The player controls a Snake named Noodle who is investigating disturbances in Haven Tor with his companion Doodle the hummingbird.
The snake is actually controlled with two buttons. The left stick on your controller with move the snake’s head but the right trigger will move its body. Since snakes slither around and don’t move in straight lines, the player is encouraged to do the same to move quickly. Developer Sumo Digital, the team behind titles like LittleBigPlanet 3 and Sonic & All-Stars Racing, thought about making that be the only way to move but deemed it too punishing to the players so they allowed movement in a straight line too but the snake will move much slower.
Sumo Digital released a series of “Dev Diaries” giving viewers a behind the scenes look at how the game was built. The game was originally going for a much more realistic look instead of the colorful style it has now. Not much is known about the ultimate goal of the game but the world was designed purposely to look like an abandoned civilization. What we do know is the game will take you through 15 levels across four different worlds, each with a different theme. The soundtrack is composed by David Wise, better known as the composer for many Rare games like the Donkey Kong Country series and Diddy Kong Racing.
The game will utilize the different features each console offers. Snake Pass will support TV, tabletop and handheld modes on the Nintendo Switch, running at 30 FPS at 720p when undocked and 30 FPS 1080p when docked (Turns out this wasn’t true). The Xbox One version is part of the “Play Anywhere” program which means a digital purchase on Xbox One will net you a second copy on your Windows 10 PC. PS4 Pro owners with a 4K TV will be able to enjoy Snake Pass with a 4K resolution and the title supports high dynamic range for both the original PS4 and Pro.
Snake Pass launches on the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC March 28 in North America and March 29 in Europe.