March 14, 2018
Bromio

Pato Box

A great stylized game with a fun and ridiculous plot. You get to be a buff boxing duck who destroys things, what more do you need to know? I definitely recommend this game, especially if you're a fan of the kind of weird.

76%Game Brain Score

story, music

replayability, grinding

76% User Score Based on 79 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom €9.75

Buy NowGet on Steam€9.75

Buy NowGet on itch.io Store$14.99

About

In "Pato Box," become a boxing champion seeking revenge against a corrupt corporation through puzzle-solving and frenetic combat. Play as a pugilistic duck, interacting with unique characters and engaging in a film noir-inspired narrative. Experience a distinctive art style and rhythm-based combat system that sets this indie game apart.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+23

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews

story16 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

The game features a unique and striking black and white comic book art style that enhances the overall experience.
Boss fights are challenging and require players to memorize patterns, providing a satisfying sense of achievement upon victory.
The soundtrack is engaging and complements the gameplay, adding to the overall enjoyment of the game.

The exploration segments are often tedious and can feel like unnecessary padding, detracting from the overall pacing of the game.
Some boss fights suffer from poor telegraphing of attacks, making it frustrating to react in time and leading to a trial-and-error gameplay experience.
The controls can feel unresponsive at times, particularly during critical moments in fights, which can lead to a frustrating experience.

story
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The story of the game is a quirky and entertaining mix of humor and absurdity, centered around a boxing duck seeking revenge against an evil corporation. While some players find the narrative predictable and the pacing slow during exploration segments, many appreciate the rich lore, memorable characters, and engaging plot twists that enhance the overall experience. The game successfully balances its lighthearted premise with deeper themes, making it a captivating journey for those who enjoy unique storytelling in gaming.
- “As for its story, Pato Box is a masterpiece. The game does a great job presenting a narrative and backstory of the Deathflock elites, detailing who you are fighting against and why. It makes me wonder where all the reviews or video essays analyzing this game's story and characters are.”
- “The game has a great setting with very memorable characters, plot twists, dark secrets, and you find out and expose the greed and corruption of the company you work for.”
- “This game has been so carefully crafted, with so much attention to detail, that it is impossible not to be immersed in the story and lore.”
- “The story is a bizarre mix of typical Hollywood 'take down the big bad by fighting all his lieutenants and then the big bad himself' and 'we really like ducks a lot'.”
- “You're forced to navigate using behind-the-back unresponsive tank controls, which while tolerable in exploration and story-building become insufferable when these segments become filled with traps and hazards.”
- “I really wanted to get to the fight a little faster and felt like the story wouldn’t have felt like such a drag if it was toned down a little.”
music
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
30%
8%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy and immersive quality that enhances the overall experience. While some noted a limited number of tracks, the soundtrack's blend of dance, hip hop, and synthwave elements was highlighted as a standout feature that complements the gameplay and art style. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's best aspects, contributing significantly to its atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “It's a great game with beautiful art direction, a really good soundtrack (seriously, check it out!) and a neat amount of challenge for my taste.”
- “The music perfectly complements the game as you get a calm, but somber, background music as you explore to a ramped up beat that suits the boss you’re going against.”
- “The soundtrack is superb (probably one of the best aspects of the game in my opinion) and the sound design feels like one of the more polished parts of the game.”
- “Also, there's only like 2 music tracks in the game lol.”
- “On top of that, you have obnoxious gimmick sections like the 'music' boss that is entirely split-second reactions (or a memorization of multiple minute-long patterns) and a 'horror' level that plays like a poorly made Doom wad.”
- “The monochrome 2D sprites in a 3D void, only made comprehensible as a maze pulled straight from a Doom level by white line detailing, all complemented by music that gave me a headache.”
gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The gameplay of Pato Box is a mixed bag, drawing inspiration from the classic "Punch-Out" series with its boxing mechanics and exploration elements. While some players appreciate the satisfying challenge and unique art style, many criticize the lack of clarity in fight mechanics, poor readability during battles, and the trial-and-error nature of gameplay, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite its creative concepts and engaging boss battles, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a divide in player enjoyment.
- “More importantly, however, is the gameplay, and Pato Box strikes that excellent balance of difficulty where I kept thinking 'one more shot, I know I can beat this guy.'”
- “It's a perfect showcase that you don't have to stack on extra mechanics and make a game more complex to make it fun and deep!”
- “The gameplay is pretty solid, inspired by 'Punch-Out,' where you box, block, and dodge your way to victory in a number of boss encounters.”
- “Really not good fighting mechanics for what's supposed to be a fighting game.”
- “Unfortunately the gameplay is poorly executed, and it's just not fun.”
- “The exploration gameplay is just flat-out not fun.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their striking and unique comic book art style, featuring a memorable monochrome palette that enhances the overall aesthetic experience. Reviewers highlight the beautiful, hand-drawn visuals and attention to detail, which contribute significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere. While the art style is celebrated, some players note that it can hinder gameplay mechanics, particularly during combat.
- “The graphics look great and the crisp monochrome look is really memorable.”
- “Beautiful, comic book art style.”
- “The art style makes it impossible to dodge your opponent's attacks during fights, and the tank controls for movement outside of fights are frustrating to deal with.”
- “The art style puts you right into a comic book with the heavy black and white stylization.”
- “Pato Box is a game that is aesthetically pleasing and feels like a true indie both in the good and bad sense.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is widely praised for its blend of edgy and simple fun, with players finding it hilariously enjoyable, especially once they master the gameplay mechanics. The quirky storyline, featuring absurd scenarios like a duck boxer facing off against a bionic German woman, adds to its charm and appeal. Overall, the humor is considered a standout aspect that enhances the gaming experience.
- “The humor in the game is great; the mix of edgy and simple dumb fun was very nice.”
- “The idea of a duck boxer defeating a bionic German woman is hilarious too.”
- “The humor is on-point; the story is pretty outlandish - and it's charming as hell.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the game enjoyable with a balanced difficulty and humor, contributing to its strong replayability, particularly in arcade mode for S-ranking bosses. However, after completing the main story, the options for replay are somewhat limited, primarily revolving around collecting pato tokens to unlock additional content. Overall, while there is significant replay value, it may not sustain long-term engagement beyond the initial playthrough.
- “I really enjoyed my time with it; the difficulty is just right, it's got a good sense of humor, and it has great replay value if you want to go and S-rank bosses in the arcade mode.”
- “Replayability: after beating the main story, there isn't really much to do apart from collecting pato tokens, which unlocks dark pato.”
- “The game has a lot of replay value.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, particularly due to slow movement and repetitive quests. However, some appreciate that the adventure segments are designed to fit the environment and offer varied experiences, despite the overall grind feeling monotonous.
- “Levels and quests are boring and tedious.”
- “While I do see how the adventure segments can be tedious, as Patobox can’t walk faster and some may want to skip right to the fights, it’s at least crafted to fit the area and aims to bring a different experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization aspect of the game is designed to enhance the arcade experience by grading players on their performance, ensuring that gameplay is both challenging and rewarding.
- “You'll get graded on your performance for that true arcade experience.”