Hopping into early access on PC and XBOX is the cute platformer, Lapin. As you'll see from the visuals, Lapin errs on the side of saccharine with the cast being made up of floppy-eared bunnies. This story-driven platformer has more in common with Celeste than with Mario. You can expect lots of tight jumps, areas that feel more like a puzzle, and reasons to hunt for secrets.
Exploring through beautiful scenes, with gorgeous animation, can be very misleading. Lapin has areas that will test your skills to the extreme. Dodging traps and avoiding spiky thorns is a must, as any damage taken sends you back to the start of the screen you're on. Learning how Liebe, our hero rabbit, moves are integral to progression and staying alive.
Stick To The Walls
Liebe must have been bitten by a radioactive spider, as their ability to stick to walls is amazing. Holding the analogue stick or D-pad towards the wall will stick Liebe like glue. This is perfect for lining up difficult jumps as you can tap towards the wall quickly to slide incrementally downwards. This is great if you're new to platformers as it gives you more time to consider your jumps.
This ability can also save you from slid𒈔ing into thorns, or be used later in the game to pull off some expert movement in the s♓earch for secret items.
Wall Launching
There may be a part of you wondering if the jumping in Lapin is exaggerated given you play as a rabbit. Thankfully Liebe's strong hind legs do aid them in jumping. If you hold the stick or D-pad in the opposite direction to the wall you're clinging to, you'll leap further through the air. Kind of like a spr𒈔ingboard has ♏given you a bit of extra power.
This is utilised from very early in the game. Using the analogue stick makes it slightly harder, due to the movement of the stick, but after a few tries, it becomes second nature.
Nimble In The Air
One thing you'll notice when controlling Liebe is how much you can control them in the air. Switching directions is easy enough, especially when it comes to swift movements through hazard areas. Some obstacles will require you to double back on yourself slightly, in order to grab a wall or platform. For༺ example, you will have to leap from the left wall of a block, over th💝e thorns on top, and grab the right-hand side.
This air movement is very sensitive, as is Liebe's jump - a long press will give you a longer or higher jump than a button tap - and this can take some getting used to.
Off The Beaten Path
As with any platformer, you'll be rewarded for exploring fully. Lapin's levels are full of secrets to uncover, but you'll find also find key items hidden away in these areas. These items will usually be paired with an environmental object to open new areas. For example, finding a key to a locked door. Many of the game's story beats will happen in these closed-off sections.
You'll notice there are rabbit statues throughout the game, some of these will be slightly damaged, and through exploring other areas you'll often find the missing pieces.
Examine Everything
While many of the objects you'll find along the way will be purely world-building, some of them are clues to later puzzles. For example, you might find a statue plaque that discusses food, the order of which needs to be remembered. These objects can also hinꦫt at the existence of🔴 a key item nearby.
As mentioned above, the damaged statues can be repaired. Once you've slotted in the missing piece, the flavour text of the statue will offer more information, such asꦏ how to make longer jumps or use the environment to 🤪your advantage.
Momentum
In Lapin, momentum is often your friend. There are several areas where you'll be required to use the environment to boost Liebe across longer gaps or up to higher platforms. Getting the timing right is tricky at first. If you have experience with games like Super Meat Boy and Celeste, you'll find a lot of these areas familiar.
As you progress further i🎉nto the game, there will be many objects that move swiftly while Liebe clings on. Get the timing on that jump right, and this bunny turns into a cannonball.
Trial and Error
Failing is your friend in Lapin. Often, areas will prove difficult on the first handful of attempts, but failing often reveals exactly what you're supposed to do. Aside from Liebe's overly sensitive air movement, the platforming in Lapin is well-designed. So, if an area seems out of your reach, it's usually because you haven't mastered a technique.
There's very little back-tracking in Lapin, so what you're presented with on each screen is everything you need for that section. Try everything, climb every wall, and launch towards tiny gaps; you never know what will work and surprise you.
Talk to Every NPC
This tip can be overlooked if you're purely focused on platforming, but for those wanting to find all the hidden items, you'll need to stop and chat, a lot. There are quite a lot of stories to this platformer. All the characters have a backstory, their own fears, and moments of pride. You'll also find that some of the NPCs will reward you with items for listening to them talk.
While few of these items will actually be used within a level, they will count towards the full completion of the game's chapters. If however, you really want to speed through and tackle Lapin's many jumps and tricks, you can skip the narrative scenes by pausing and selecting 'skip'.