PAWARUMi
- January 30, 2018
- Manufacture 43
How this hadn’t been done before I will never know, but Pawarumi’s melding of rock, paper, scissors to a shooter is quite frankly, a blast.
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"PAWARUMi is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with good graphics. As Axo, piloting the legendary ship Chukaru, players face the Council's armies and uncover a dark secret. The unique Trinity Mechanic allows for strategic weapon usage to deal extra damage, heal the shield, or recharge the super attack."
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Pawarumi features outstanding presentation with vibrant visuals and a well-composed soundtrack, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- The unique three-color weapon system adds depth and strategy to the gameplay, allowing players to engage in a nuanced rock-paper-scissors mechanic.
- The game is fun and engaging, providing a challenging experience that rewards skill and mastery over time.
- The game's reliance on a one-credit clear (1CC) system and lack of continues can be frustrating, especially for casual players or newcomers to the genre.
- Visual clarity issues arise due to the busy backgrounds and effects, making it difficult to track projectiles and enemies during intense gameplay.
- The difficulty curve may feel steep, with some players finding the learning curve and memorization required to progress overwhelming.
- gameplay40 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Pawarumi is characterized by a unique and polished experience that draws inspiration from classic shmups like Ikaruga, featuring a nuanced three-weapon system and a clever color-switching mechanic that adds depth and strategy. While the game is visually stunning and offers a fun challenge, some players may find the mechanics initially confusing and the user interface somewhat cluttered. Overall, it provides a memorable and intense gameplay experience, though it requires players to fully grasp its mechanics for success.
“When it comes to talking about the gameplay and how it feels at a fundamental level, I've got to say it is very fun, well constructed, and unique.”
“A fantastic and frankly underrated shmup with lots of care and polish put into its presentation and gameplay.”
“Clever and well thought-out color switching mechanic - it's not trying to be Ikaruga, it's a completely different beast - combined with beautiful graphics and a stirring soundtrack resulted in a memorable, unique experience.”
“But on the other hand, it also makes the gameplay very confusing.”
“Note that you must fully understand the 3-color mechanics, else utter failure is unavoidable.”
“If I were to be critical: the UI is a bit invasive (especially the lightning effects) and score mechanics aren't explained in the tutorial, nor made clear during the stages it seems.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 82 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are consistently praised as stunning and polished, with beautiful artwork and effective level design that enhance the overall experience. Cinematic camera shots contribute to a strong sense of progression, while the clever color switching mechanic adds depth without drawing direct comparisons to other titles. Overall, players find the visuals to be a standout feature, complementing the engaging gameplay and memorable soundtrack.
“Extremely polished, jaw-dropping graphics and crazy good gameplay.”
“Graphics: absolutely stunning.”
“The graphics and level design look great, I can't wait to see what the final version of the game looks like!”
- music21 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its well-composed soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience and complements the game's visuals and themes. Many players highlight specific levels and bosses for their standout tracks, noting the blend of rock and electronic elements that effectively set the mood. While some reviews mention that the music could be improved, the general consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's memorable and unique atmosphere.
“The soundtrack of the game is very well-composed.”
“Clever and well thought-out color switching mechanic - it's not trying to be Ikaruga, it's a completely different beast - combined with beautiful graphics and a stirring soundtrack resulted in a memorable, unique experience.”
“The soundtrack is rather good too, offering a blend of rock, electro, and plenty of bass that sets the mood for the carnage ahead.”
- story21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally viewed as weak and disjointed, lacking coherence and integration with gameplay, despite being presented through short skits between levels. While some appreciate its moody atmosphere, many players find it difficult to fully understand or engage with the plot, describing it as simplistic and underwhelming. Overall, the narrative does not significantly enhance the experience, which is primarily driven by the game's visual appeal and fast-paced action.
“The storyline, told via short skits between the stages, is simple yet well told, adding a moody, foreboding flair to the occasion.”
“Nice pacing, the color-coded elements are not here to annoy you, the story bits are brief (and skippable), the levels seem to be the right length so far, controls are responsive, and enemies aren't bullet-sponge without reason.”
“Stick with it though and you’ll be rewarded with a slick, fast-paced shooter that looks and sounds amazing and will test your skills to the max. There’s really nothing else like it out there right now and, even with slight reservations over the difficulty, a lackluster story and paucity of game modes, this is an easy recommendation for fans of the genre looking for a proper challenge.”
“It makes Natsuki Chronicles’ incomplete plot that was trying too hard look like a masterpiece!”
“Some complaints would be that enemies don't really go for the amount of craziness that other games get out of them, and that the story is there but it really feels like a completely separate thing instead of being integrated with the levels.”
“It's a very attractive game visually, with a kind of meh plot that I didn't really get into.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization on the Switch has been noted to cause occasional performance hiccups, particularly during loading transitions when player interaction is disabled, leading to noticeable juddering.
“Loading on the Switch can cause a hiccup in performance as the game judders, but this usually happens during a transition where interaction isn’t enabled.”
Critic Reviews
Pawarumi
Visually, Pawarumi is filled with colour, with each stage, be it the snowy wasteland to the volcanic zone, packed with vibrant environments rendered in 3D that allows the game to twist the view and zoom the camera to heighten the transition during flybys. Loading on the Switch can cause a hiccup in performance as the game judders, but this usually happens during a transition where interaction isn’t enabled. One disappointment about Pawarumi is that it doesn’t run at 60 frames per second. The game is locked to 30 frames per second, because 60 wasn’t as consistent as the developers would have liked. It certainly can be felt in the motion and controls, so if portability doesn’t enter the equation, then picking Pawarumi on PC will be the better option. The soundtrack is rather good too, offering a blend of rock, electro and plenty of bass that sets the mood for the carnage ahead.
70%Pawarumi (Nintendo Switch)
Pawarumi is a good old-fashioned “shoot everything that moves” game which engages the player right from the start; I had an adrenaline rush going the whole time I was playing. At $14.99, it’s a great addition to your Nintendo Switch catalog of games.
90%Pawarumi Review
Pawarumi is a tough-as-nails shmup with a unique central mechanic that takes time to master. Stick with it though and you’ll be rewarded with a slick, fast-paced shooter that looks and sounds amazing and will test your skills to the max. There’s really nothing else like it out there right now and, even with slight reservations over the difficulty, a lacklustre story and paucity of game modes, this is an easy recommend for fans of the genre looking for a proper challenge.
80%
