Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines
- September 11, 2024
- Medallion Games
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a delightful 2D platformer, with slick swinging gameplay and loads of lovely collectibles to gather.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines" is a fast-paced platforming game with swinging action, magnetic panels, and fire-dashing abilities. Explore multiple worlds filled with vibrant pixel art, hidden collectibles, and challenging boss battles, with an exhilarating soundtrack by Jazz Mickle. Join the adventure with the newcomer Luna and her weaponry, as you journey across dimensions to save everything.
Reviews
- Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines significantly improves upon the original with refined controls, new mechanics, and a second playable character, Luna, adding variety to gameplay.
- The game features stunning pixel art, a fantastic soundtrack, and a charming narrative that enhances the overall experience.
- The level design is diverse and engaging, with a good balance of challenge and exploration, making it enjoyable for both casual and hardcore players.
- Some players find Luna's gameplay mechanics to be less satisfying and potentially overpowered, which can trivialize certain levels.
- The removal of fruit as a collectible for level completion has made exploration feel less rewarding compared to the original game.
- A few minor bugs and control issues, particularly with Luna's aiming mechanics, can detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay44 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Grapple Dog: Cosmic Canines" is praised for its smoothness and engaging mechanics, particularly the grapple hook mechanics that enhance platforming challenges. The introduction of a second character, Luna, adds variety with her shooting abilities, though some players find her gameplay style less satisfying compared to the original character, Pablo. Overall, the game maintains a balance between complexity and accessibility, offering a polished experience with enjoyable level design and a range of power-ups that keep the gameplay fresh.
“The pixel art is stellar, the gameplay is somewhat simple yet satisfying and fun, and the music and sheer amount of polish makes it a very well-rounded experience.”
“This second entry in the Grapple Dog series manages to deliver more of the fun, fast-paced platforming which made the first game so successful, with the addition of a multitude of new weapons and gameplay mechanics which keep it fresh and engaging.”
“Level design is solid, gameplay and movement mechanics are expertly designed and very satisfying, and there's decent challenge to be had.”
“I do find the run and gun gameplay a bit more awkward than the simple platforming; I think combining platforming with twin-stick shooting is just a hard square to circle.”
“That, and the gameplay only evolved so much over the course of the game, outside of usually minor environment gimmicks and platforming difficulty.”
“I thought that gameplay mechanic from the first game was pretty satisfying, so it's a bit disappointing to see it removed here.”
- music30 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its significant improvement over the original, featuring a diverse and engaging soundtrack that includes funky jazz, cool guitar riffs, and ethereal tunes. Reviewers appreciate the variety of themes that accompany different levels, which helps to avoid the repetitiveness of the previous installment. Overall, the soundtrack is described as a standout element that enhances the gameplay experience, making it a memorable aspect of the game.
“The pixel art is stellar, the gameplay is somewhat simple yet satisfying and fun, and the music and sheer amount of polish makes it a very well-rounded experience.”
“With an absolute banger soundtrack that tops the original, you'll be bobbing your head as you swing and shoot through beautiful environments and nasty enemies.”
“Amazing music, gorgeous art, and extremely tight platforming.”
“The first game often lacked variety - you were stuck with the same music and stage theme for stages on end, especially if you were trying to 100% things before moving on.”
“The pacing is much improved from the first game; it feels like they took the themed level approach from the first game and just scattered them throughout the story, which really helps reduce the tedium of going through a world with the same theme throughout with the same song playing throughout.”
“The music does start to fade as you get close to the band, which sometimes helps you find them, but other times they're so far off the beaten path that it doesn't help at all.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story in "Grapple Dogs" is surprisingly engaging for a game with such a lighthearted title, featuring a more complex narrative and improved pacing compared to its predecessor. While some players feel the story could be expanded, the charm and momentum of the gameplay keep it enjoyable throughout. Overall, it offers a satisfying backdrop that enhances the gaming experience without being overly central.
“On a related note, the story is more than you would expect from a game with a name like Grapple Dogs.”
“In case you're hesitant to trust that cosmic canines can live up to its predecessor, the original charm is as strong as ever here, and your momentum (literally and figuratively) just keeps building as you work your way through the story.”
“The pacing is much improved from the first game; it feels like they took the themed level approach from the first game and just scattered them throughout the story, which really helps reduce the tedium of going through a world with the same theme throughout with the same song playing.”
“There's no necessary story or anything stuck in that game, just jump into this one.”
“The story is a bit more complex than the first game.”
“Not a huge loss, but still - it says something when my biggest issue with the story is that I wish there was more of it to enjoy.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their vibrant and imaginative design, reminiscent of GBA and DS aesthetics, while the music, likened to Hideki Naganuma's style, enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the variety in level artwork and the attention to detail in world-building, contributing to a visually engaging and enjoyable platforming experience.
“The graphics remain vibrant and imaginative, the new dimensions you explore are fascinating. The music's nice, and I'm definitely going to buy the soundtrack.”
“The stakes and spectacle are increased, and the already great artwork seems even better this time.”
“Fantastic variety in the level artwork and music so far, and more funny writing in little NPCs you encounter.”
“While I was playing through, I kept calling the graphics 'GBA/DS coded' and the music 'Hideki Naganuma coded' (the devs at least aren't shy about the latter being the case).”
“The graphics remain vibrant and imaginative, the new dimensions you explore are fascinating (though I felt a little weird about how in this whole multiverse thing the frogs universe gets so much focus; if it's about how many universes there are, why repeat so many levels?).”
“The graphics and music sell themselves lol.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently sharp and hilarious, contributing to a charming adventure filled with funny and wholesome moments. However, some characters, like Luna, may come off as humorless or mean-spirited, which can detract from the overall comedic experience. The variety in level design and amusing interactions with NPCs further enhance the game's comedic appeal.
“The writing is again sharp (if not sharper!) and hilarious.”
“The writing is always either funny or wholesome in a way that makes the entire adventure ridiculously charming.”
“Fantastic variety in the level artwork and music so far, and more funny writing in little NPCs you encounter.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the shift to using berries as a currency for cosmetic purchases, making the collection process feel less tedious compared to previous mechanics. However, many found the final hour of grinding for berries to be excessive, suggesting that the prices could be better balanced. While the game encourages exploration and offers a charming experience, some aspects of the grinding, particularly the obscurely hidden collectibles, can lead to frustrating and slow gameplay.
“I enjoyed the move to make the berries an actual currency to buy skins rather than another thing to collect to progress. However, I still needed about an hour of grinding to get everything, so I kinda wish the prices were adjusted a bit towards the higher end.”
“The writing still has a lot of heart and charm, and it was a joy to 100% outside of the final hour of berry grinding.”
“You can even use the dashes and gun hovering to jankily climb a vertical wall, but it's slow and tedious—which would be fine if it were never actually needed, but 100%ing the game does require it.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its charming writing, which balances humor and wholesomeness, creating an engaging and delightful adventure for players.
“The writing is always either funny or wholesome in a way that makes the entire adventure ridiculously charming.”
“The characters' journeys are deeply moving, leaving a lasting impact long after the game is over.”
“I felt a genuine connection to the story, as it beautifully explores themes of love, loss, and redemption.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the added replayability from new features, such as a new playable character, although some note that these characters are limited to specific levels.
“The new additions, like the new playable character, really enhance the replayability, even if they are only available for specific levels.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the variety of choices and paths you can take.”
“The game encourages multiple runs with its different endings and unlockable content.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage me to replay it.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics makes replaying feel tedious rather than enjoyable.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by a reduction in voice samples, allowing for more immersive atmospheric tracks that complement the new moody stage themes effectively.
“There's less overuse of voice samples and more atmospheric tracks, which combine nicely with some of the new moody stage themes.”
Critic Reviews
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines review
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a delightful 2D platformer, with slick swinging gameplay and loads of lovely collectibles to gather.
90%Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines PC Review
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a charming romp though a bright and colourful world that makes fantastic use of its mechanics in order to fully engage the player.
86%Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines Review
86%
