Pan Pan has been on the Switch for a long time. In fact, it was released back in September of 2017 and I have seen it pop up in numerous sales since then. If you don’t already know, this week I’ve been reviewing an indie game a day and saw that Pan Pan was both short and currently on sale for €1. It was the perfect time for me to check out this unsuspecting game, but how will it fair? Find out in my Pan Pan Switch review.

Crash

The game opens with your hot air ballon cum space ship crash landing on an unusual looking world. As soon as I stepped out of the destroyed ship, the game gave me vibes of Hyper Light Drifter. The world is colourful and there are strange creatures lurking around, helpfully rebuilding your ship for you. Unfortunately, there are still some parts the creatures need to finish the ship and you are tasked with going to find them.

Finding them isn’t easy. Each piece is hidden behind a well designed puzzle. As the game opens up you can tackle any puzzle you want. However, playing through the game I released there is a set route through the puzzles you’re supposed to take. What’s frustrating is that the game gives you no sign as to where you should start first. Using my immense gamer brain I tried tackling the puzzle that was closest to my crashed ship. It turns out however, that the first puzzle you’re supposed to solve is way over on the other side of the map. Once you realise this, the puzzle sequences all fall into place. Nevertheless, I wish I could have saved some time by having a clear sign as to where to start first.

Puzzles themselves are creative and take a bit of thinking to work out. This is because most of the parts you need for each puzzle are scattered around the map. To be totally honest, I’m rubbish at these sorts of games. I prefer Uncharted style puzzles where you walk into a room and everything you need to progress is there, you just have to work out how to use everything you have in front of you. Therefore, I did use a guide for both puzzles and to save time to beat the game.

Short and Sweet

All in all, the game can be beaten between 30 minutes to an hour. For €1 I think that is a bargain price for the entertainment and enjoyment I got from the game. Usually the game is €5, which is a fair price for the experience you get from Pan Pan. There doesn’t seem to be any replay value to the game though, so if you like getting every penny out of your gaming experience, you might want to pick it up on sale.

Environmental Story-Telling

The art design is gorgeous in Pan Pan. There is so much environmental story telling done to tell the player what has happened in the past. Destroyed mining robots, other crashed air ships and derelict buildings all suggest that something dramatic had happened before you arrived.

In addition, there is no dialogue so interactions with NPCs in the game is done with Journey-like chirps and whistles. It’s a charming way to communicate with the quirky inhabitants of the world. Finally, the colour pallet is used creatively to define to the player where a puzzle ends and a new one begins. Each area has a different hue and feel to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Pan Pan Switch Review

Pan Pan is a wonderful game that I feel many Switch players my have overlooked. If you like puzzle games or have any interest in games like Hyper Light Drifter or Journey then I highly recommend this game. Though short, I feel like I learnt so much about the game’s world from its environmental story telling and wonderful range of colour.

My only criticism is that the game could nudge you towards the first puzzle more, instead of letting you run around the map scratching your head and not knowing where to start. Nevertheless, once you work it out, the puzzles then all tie nicely together and are a real challenge that any puzzle fan will revel in.

Therefore, I give Pan Pan by Circle Ent and Flyhigh works my rating of

What did you think of my Pan Pan Switch review? Are you a puzzle game fan? If so what are some of your favourites on the Nintendo Switch? Let me know by going over to Twitter or coming and saying ‘hi’ on the SIF Discord.

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