Big Hops Review – The Year’s First Great Game Is Mario Meets Breath Of The Wild

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Big Hops stars Hop, a small frog with grand ambitions. He dreams of leaving his forest home, and he soon gains the amazing ability to jump between different worlds! The game itself, developed and published by Luckshot Games, feels just as ambitious. While it’s a relatively simple 3D platformer, it confidently takes on some of the genre’s biggest titles. Even when it doesn’t quite reach perfection, you have to admire its boldness. Big Hops is all about fun, fluid movement and is a promising title that should get players excited about what Luckshot Games does next.

Even from the beginning of Big Hops, it’s clear what inspired the game’s movement. Hop controls a lot like Mario in Super Mario Odyssey, with similar jumps and even a sliding move to maintain speed. But it doesn’t stop there! You can also run on walls, similar to games like Prince of Persia or Titanfall, and climb almost any surface like in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – though your stamina limits how long you can hold on. Hop’s long tongue isn’t just for catching bugs and fruit; it’s a grappling hook that lets you swing and grab onto things. All these moves feel intuitive, and a big part of the enjoyment in Big Hops comes from figuring out how to combine them all together.

Hop soon encounters Diss, a quirky, mischievous imp from another dimension. Diss magically transports Hop to The Void, a bizarre realm connecting different worlds where gravity works in unpredictable ways. It reminded me of the gravity mechanics in Super Mario Galaxy – Hop would jump and unexpectedly find himself flipped upside down, but the controls were so fluid that it quickly felt natural and easy to move around.

Diss sends Hop on a quest to gather mysterious dark energy droplets, called Dark Drips, though he won’t say why. Almost immediately, Hop meets a friendly mechanic who offers to build him an airship to escape, if Hop can find the necessary parts. Diss insists the airship won’t matter unless Hop also collects the Dark Drips, so Hop tries to do both – gather energy for Diss and search for airship parts, hoping to break free. Ironically, Hop, who once dreamed of adventure, now just wants to return home to his family.

The game features three distinct worlds, each with unique inhabitants and stories that often focus on cultural conflicts. These stories are charming, like a rabbit family ignoring a dangerous sinkhole or a disagreement that divides the founders of an otter-run oil company. While each story feels mostly resolved, it doesn’t always offer a completely neat ending – which seems deliberate, reflecting how real conflicts often unfold. Unfortunately, the main storyline involving Diss and the Dark Drips feels rushed towards the end, becoming confusing and difficult to follow. It’s unclear what’s happening and why.

As you explore each world, you’ll find small amounts of void energy both along the main routes and in hidden areas. You also complete larger quests to gather parts for your Airship. Most of the challenge comes from navigating platforming obstacles – there aren’t many enemies, aside from a few boss battles. Collecting enough ‘Dark Drips’ lets you visit Diss and trade for helpful items that give you new abilities, like needing less stamina, sliding faster, or getting hints for collectibles. You can even find an item that makes you invincible, though it takes up all your item slots. This system is very versatile, letting you play the game in a way that suits you best. I just wish it was easier to switch between different item combinations.

Beyond the Dark Drips, the game worlds are filled with plenty of smaller collectibles. You can find coins hidden in pots and around the environment, and trade them for things like cosmetic outfits and stamina potions – which give you a temporary energy boost. Alternatively, you can eat bugs you discover for the same effect, and even learn a bit about them the first time you catch each type! There’s also a shopkeeper who gives you special rewards for collecting many different bug species.

The most helpful things you’ll find are the unusual fruits and seeds growing on trees throughout the different worlds. These power-ups let you get around in creative ways. It starts simple – throwing an acorn down makes a giant vine you can climb. But things quickly get more interesting! You’ll discover fruits that let you bounce on bubbles, change gravity, blast through walls, create areas with no gravity, and much more. You can collect and save these items in your backpack to use whenever you want, giving you lots of flexibility. You do need to throw the fruit at something to activate it, so you can’t just use it floating in the air. This small restriction keeps things balanced, but overall you have a lot of freedom. Big Hops often feels like you’re discovering unintended shortcuts, but that’s intentional – Luckshot designed the game to allow for this kind of creative problem-solving.

It’s a little frustrating when the game briefly limits your options. This is especially noticeable in the third world with a lengthy mine cart section that feels a bit clunky. There’s no clear way to avoid its strict rules. While it’s a small issue, it highlights that the game shines when it lets you explore freely, and isn’t as strong when it feels overly guided or restrictive.

Despite being a smaller game, Big Hops boasts surprisingly high production quality. The characters, Hop and Diss in particular, are well-designed, and the game’s worlds are consistently vibrant and visually appealing. The full voice acting really brings the characters to life and gives them distinct personalities. While there are occasional reminders of the game’s limitations – characters often simply teleport down the path instead of walking – overall, the game delivers on its promises.

Big Hops proves that simple concepts, executed with polish, can be incredibly enjoyable. The game features a small but perfectly crafted set of moves that combine to create fluid and energetic movement. This solid base is then enhanced by a lot of freedom, turning each level into a space where you can experiment and show off your platforming skills. The result is a truly charming platformer, and a standout game to start 2026.

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2026-01-14 01:40