One of my favourite hidden gems from 2023 was Doinksoft a🍷𓄧nd Devolver’s Gunbrella, a side-scrolling platformer that focused on the titular Gunbrella, 🅠a weapon that, you 🏅guessed it, combined all the best parts of a shotgun and an umbrella. It was fast-paced, mechanically satisfying, and had me begging for more games that duct-taped mismatched things together as their main gimmick.

It seems that heard my incredibly specific wish as, less than a year after making me want to combo things like Chuck Greene, it’s back with , another 2D platformer with a pixellated art style whose main gimmick is an oversized household object that helps its protagonist 🐼move around and defeat enemies.

Although Gunbrella and Pepper Grinder are strangely similar in concept, they’re very different in execution, as Pepper Grinder is a more traditional level-based platformer that focuses on movement, speed, and co♏llectibles over combat or storytelling.

In fact, beyond a brief set-up that shows Pepper washing ashore and losingꦿ all her treasure, my time with Pepper Grinder’s demo seemed to indicate that there’s no real story at all beyond trying to 🅺reclaim your gold and jewels. I only got to play less than an hour overall so that might change in the full game, but if you’re hoping for a surprising narrative then you might be disappointed.

Not every game needs a compelling narrative, though, so even if Pepper Grinder doesn't end up having one, I'll still be happy.

What you won’t be 𒊎disappointed in, however, is how Pepper Grinder plays. Pepper’s massive drill is the crux of the mechanics here, as it’s not only used to break objects and kill enemies, but to carve into the ground and speed around like a hopped-up mole. Although Pepper can jump well enough on her own despite lugging around a tool fit for a crane, th𝓰at drilling is where Pepper Grinder’s unique platforming comes into play.

Each stage of Pepper Grinder has platforms that are made out of dirt and can be drilled into, giving Pepper a massive speed boost that instantly takes out enemies and causes her to soar through the air when she drills out of a surface. This turns platforming int🌞o a rhythmic gauntlet of leaping in and out of these areas and trying to find the right angle to keep you moving forward at top speed, which feels incredible when you get it right.

Pepper moves so fast while she’s drilling that it can be a little hard to get used to at first, something I learned the hard way as I spun around in circles trying to slow myself down for nearly all of the firꦫst level. But once you’ve figured it out, Pepper Grinder turns into one of the fastest-paced and most satisfying 2D platformers I’ve played in some time, rivalling even the later stages of Gunbrella whe𓆏n you’re dashing around without a care in the world. I barely got to play more than half an hour, but I can already tell it’s going to be a haven for speedrunners.

This central mechanic is already satisfying enough on its own, but one of the things that impressed me most about my brief time with Pepper Grinder is how much variety there i💎s in the levels. Although the first stage mainly acted as a tutorial for the basic mechanics, the second level mixed things up by focusing on water, which causes Pepper to move much slower than when she’s drilling in weaker surfaces, but can still be drilled into to activate the same long-jump you get from other surfaces.

The third and final level I played was an area filled to the brim w🍌ith explosive mines and switches that necessitated precise platforming, choosing a specific path to drill into and speed control, something that I’ve already mentioned is very difficult to do. The drill also has multiple other uses, like raising platforms and spinning keys to unlock doors, which keeps things fresh in between all of the rocketing around.

The trailers for Pepper Grinder also teased some more uses for the drill, like using it to spin a turret. Sounds like it'll be drill-y helpful.

While making your way through each level, you’re also tasked with finding hidden medals and collecting gems that are scattered in your path. Beyond just getting them because it feels oh so good to do so, these gems can be used in a shop to purchase stickers and sheets to place them on, sort of like the collectible stamps in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Super Mario 3D World.

These stickers are charming and a nice bo🐠nus, but they were the🦩 one thing that felt like a bit of a letdown in Pepper Grinder. I don’t need an excuse to collect sparkly things in my path, but Pepper Grinder’s layout makes doing so extra satisfying, so it’d be nice if there was something a bit more substantial to spend them on. Even just something like skins for Pepper and the drill would be more rewarding, so I hope they become an option later in the game.

That being said, my demo of Pepper Grinder barely seemed to scratch the game’s surface as it was only the first three levels of the first world and didn’t include any boss fights, a hub world, or an🔯ything beyond a linear challenge.

, there seems to be a whole lot more to drill into in𒐪 Pepper Grinder than I got to see. I’ve already had a close eye on it since it was announced, but just like the sparkly jewels that Pepper can find on her adventures, it’s shaping up to be one of this year’s most interesting hidden gems.