Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator is a warm and funny game | Hands-on preview

Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator is a warm and funny game | Hands-on preview

As a seasoned gamer who has traversed countless pixelated landscapes and dabbled in time-bending adventures since the dawn of the millennium, I must say that Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator has stirred a potent brew of nostalgia within me. The game’s blend of 2000’s platforming with a dash of Back to the Future-esque narrative and a sprinkle of Rayman-like mechanics is an enticing concoction that takes me on a trip down memory lane.


The demo for Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator exudes a potent sense of nostalgia, largely due to the blend of ’00s-style platform gaming and the dynamic duo reminiscent of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, featuring our protagonist Ari and his somewhat bumbling sidekick, Professor Raventhorpe. Furthermore, the soundtrack subtly echoes Alan Silvestri’s work, whisking me back to my youth and time-travel escapades instantly.

During their journey, Ari and the professor navigate their homemade time-traveling lift to retrieve an old artifact, eager to impress a local history teacher. However, as fate would have it, things take an unexpected turn, stranding them in the foggy expanse of time. My encounters with Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator often find me transported to Ancient Egypt, where I leap, scale, and solve 2.5D puzzle challenges within decaying tombs.

Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator is a warm and funny game | Hands-on preview

This game has a chunky, cartoonish appearance that might trick you into believing it’s an open 3D world to explore. However, it’s essentially a guided experience with a beautiful three-dimensional gloss added. While there are hidden treasures and brain-teasing puzzles to uncover, the gameplay is streamlined and enjoyable. The style seems designed to attract fans of classic platformers like Rayman or Donkey Kong, complete with a minecart chase section where you dodge obstacles while outrunning your pursuers. Additionally, the main character, Ari, shares a similarity with Rayman in his lack of limbs.

In simpler terms, the gameplay in this platformer is smooth and reactive. It introduces an innovative mechanic – rhythm-based climbing – where you need to time your jumps according to a sparkle on your next handhold. This allows for quick movement between crevices, but a misaligned button press can slow you down significantly. This isn’t a groundbreaking change in platformer design, but it’s refreshing to see new mechanics being applied to older genres. The game also features a grappling hook that adds depth to the experience, allowing you to traverse through weak wooden doors or dangerous drops. Overall, the character Ari feels incredibly satisfying to control as she navigates the shifting sands and crumbling pillars of this ancient platforming playground.

Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator is a warm and funny game | Hands-on preview

This creation was designed by a past Disney ride designer, giving it an adorable, comforting appeal all around. The characters seem surprisingly relatable, perhaps due to their familiar dynamic, yet they never feel overused or monotonous – instead, they exude warmth and a peculiar sense of tranquility.

After only a quick 30-minute trial, I felt compelled to replay it, which is quite unusual. If that’s not a sign of approval, then I don’t know what is! With 13 levels spread across six unique settings on the horizon, having my own elevator would certainly speed up the anticipation for what appears to be a charming and humorous adventure game suitable for gamers of all ages.

Ari Buktu and the Anytime Elevator is “coming soon” to PC via Steam.

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2024-10-09 16:16