Clive 'N' Wrench

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 80 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Clive 'N' Wrench Game Cover
Clive 'N' Wrench probably won't set your world on fire, but it's an enjoyable enough 3D platformer with plenty of colourful doodads to collect.
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Clive 'N' Wrench is a 3D platformer game featuring a rabbit and monkey duo on a time-traveling adventure. Traverse through various historical eras and creative worlds, solving puzzles and battling enemies. With witty dialogue, charming characters, and a dynamic soundtrack, this game offers a fun and engaging experience for players of all ages.

  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews
music8 positive mentions
optimization6 negative mentions
  • Charming and creative level design that evokes nostalgia for classic 3D platformers.
  • Fun and fluid movement mechanics that make exploration enjoyable.
  • A labor of love from a single developer, showcasing a lot of heart and passion for the genre.
  • Numerous technical issues, including bugs, glitches, and inconsistent performance.
  • Lack of polish in animations and controls, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Overabundance of collectibles can feel tedious and detracts from the overall enjoyment.
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the thematic appropriateness and enjoyable tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize it as forgettable, generic, or even cacophonous. While certain pieces, like the villain leitmotif and Clive N Wrench's theme, stand out positively, many players find the overall soundtrack lacking in memorability and quality. Additionally, issues with sound effects and audio mixing detract from the overall musical experience.

    • “In my opinion, I really enjoyed the music in the levels as I think they fit greatly into the worlds you will be playing in.”
    • “The soundtrack for each world is also very theme-appropriate, with some tracks that I'll definitely be listening to even after I've stopped playing the game.”
    • “A simple, decently challenging, fun and charming 3D platformer collect-a-thon with charming music.”
    • “Music is serviceable, but in my opinion, leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to memorability... I can't really remember any of the tracks besides the villain leitmotif that some songs have in them.”
    • “Most of it just felt like a cacophony of noise made by somebody that had no real grasp of musical theory, and just learned how to compose music with software that week!”
    • “At worst, I actually turned the music off, and listened to better platformer music on YouTube while I played.”
  • gameplay26 mentions

    The gameplay of "Clive 'n' Wrench" is a mixed bag, showcasing strong platforming mechanics and enjoyable level design that encourages exploration and collection. However, it suffers from significant technical issues, unpolished controls, and frustrating gameplay elements, such as forced backtracking and poorly implemented mechanics like swimming. While the core gameplay has potential and offers fun moments, many players feel it requires substantial refinement to reach its full potential.

    • “The fluid platforming and jumping mechanics were the real star of this game and made exploration a breeze and a joy to do.”
    • “The level design and treasure-hunting gameplay are what save the experience.”
    • “Each world is extremely unique in both setting and gameplay.”
    • “The swimming mechanic was practically useless for the entire game, which was disappointing.”
    • “It shouldn't be the case when the gameplay is so jank, it's hard to really describe how bad it is.”
    • “Aside from the multitude of technical issues I noted, the gameplay was just not fun and the layout of the level and forced backtracking was awful.”
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with players appreciating the charming environments and artistic concepts, particularly in levels like the swamp and medieval worlds. However, many criticize the textures and overall polish, noting issues such as muddy visuals, inconsistent framerates, and a lack of graphical options, which detract from the experience. While some elements, like lighting and character models, show potential, the game struggles with performance and technical glitches, leading to a perception of it being unrefined.

    • “Aesthetically, I really enjoyed the environments in the game, with my three favorites being the swamp, Christmas ice age, and medieval worlds.”
    • “And the graphics are outstanding in charm and realistic detail, but also cartoon style.”
    • “The game can look good in the moment; the lighting is pretty, the art style is nice, the textures are all adequate.”
    • “First of all, this game's graphics are dull.”
    • “A game with such a basic graphics design should not run like complete stuttering garbage on modern hardware.”
    • “I can accept bad graphics if the game runs well, and I can accept poor performance if the game looks nice, but looking bad and running bad is... bad.”
  • optimization17 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance even on capable hardware, leading to noticeable framerate drops and stuttering, particularly in later levels. Despite some enjoyable gameplay elements, the overall experience is marred by bugs and a lack of efficient rendering, prompting recommendations to wait for patches and improvements before purchasing.

    • “The performance was fine for the most part; there were some minor things I questioned, though, like how the intro cutscene apparently isn't a prerendered movie since it had to load halfway through when it changed scenes.”
    • “This game is up there with A Hat in Time as one of the best modern 3D platformers out there if the countless bugs and optimization got fixed.”
    • “I can accept bad graphics if the game runs well, and I can accept poor performance if the game looks nice, but looking bad and running bad is... bad.”
    • “This game is so poorly optimized that it was tanking my 6800 XT 16GB card on the default settings.”
    • “The big elephant in the room is the performance; I don't have a particularly powerful machine, but it's no slouch either, and despite that, it ran poorly even at medium settings.”
    • “The game has horrible optimization, which seems to mostly be rooted in the developer's misunderstanding or lack of knowledge about rendering.”
  • story14 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered minimal and nonsensical, with many reviewers noting that it lacks depth and personality, particularly for a platformer. While some acknowledge that the simple narrative serves its purpose, it is often overshadowed by gameplay elements, and players are advised to refer to external sources for context. Overall, the consensus is that the game is best enjoyed for its gameplay rather than its story.

    • “Story is simple but it does the job.”
    • “The intro cut-scene plays out like a fever dream, so make sure you know the story from the Steam page before going in.”
    • “There is barely any context to the story without reading the Steam page.”
    • “There is a very, very strange and small story here that makes no sense.”
    • “So you aren't playing for the story; there's nothing really here outside of a platformer and collectathon.”
    • “- There is barely any context to the story without reading the Steam page.”
  • stability12 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, particularly affecting combat and animations, which significantly detracts from the overall experience. While some players find the game enjoyable despite these issues, many agree that it lacks polish and can be frustrating due to game-breaking glitches. However, there is hope that future updates may address these stability concerns, making it more appealing to fans of 3D platformers.

    • “Right off the bat, this game is littered with bugs and glitches.”
    • “The biggest knock against the game is by far the amount of game-breaking glitches that impede progress.”
    • “Animations seem very glitchy/buggy at times-- some are being skipped on the character's model, while enemy animations just look awful.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of eye-rolling puns, charming characters, and a plethora of pop culture references that resonate with players. While some moments may feel anticlimactic or unpolished, the abundance of gags and quirky jokes adds a delightful charm, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate this style of humor. Overall, the humor is a significant highlight, appealing to fans of lighthearted and nostalgic comedy.

    • “Which brings me to my last point and this one made me feel at home: the eye-rolling humor.”
    • “While it may not be the most polished game and it has its share of technical issues such as an inconsistent framerate, the world and characters have a lot of charm to them, as well as plenty of hilarious gags that hit me like a truck.”
    • “But what made me laugh were the tons and tons of pop culture references - from movies, music to old platformers.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the large and complex levels that require extensive navigation to locate items like stopwatches. While the final boss can be manageable with knowledge, it still involves a frustrating trial-and-error process that detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Although I would have liked them to be more elaborate, the levels were way too big and tedious to navigate just to simply find stopwatches.”
    • “While the final boss is relatively painless when you know what you're doing, it still relies on tedious trial and error as you try to survive for the allotted time.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express that the game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of classic titles like Jak & Daxter, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro, which makes them feel youthful and at home. The inclusion of eye-rolling humor further enhances the emotional connection, adding to the overall charm and familiarity of the experience.

    • “Playing this made me feel like a kid again; it has that real old-school vibe and reminds me a lot of Jak & Daxter 1, Crash Bandicoot 3, and Spyro.”
    • “This one made me feel at home: the eye-rolling humor.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, with appealing designs and enjoyable character traits; however, some players feel that the main characters, Clive and Wrench, may be overly derivative of their inspirations, which affects their personal connection to them. Overall, the game features strong character designs that contribute positively to the experience.

    • “Character designs are appealing and are one of my most liked aspects of the game.”
    • “A pleasant 3D collectathon platformer with great movement controls, good characters, and some nice music.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

50% average critic score

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