Pilot your trusty Platypus and save peaceful Mungola

Being a big fan of the Wallace and Gromit series of films, I’ve always dreamed of living in a world made of clay. Now my dreams have been realized thanks to Platypus.

You assume the role of an orange flying craft that must save the country of Mungola by blasting the evil enemy invaders out of the sky. Essentially, it’s a side-scrolling shooter but with one difference – everything is made from clay.

The graphics in Platypus are like none you’ll have seen before. Because all of the elements were actually made from clay and digital captured, it makes for some truly stunning viewing. The animation is pretty slick too, and the splatting explosion effects are some of the best I’ve seen anywhere. The high-octane sound effects are impressive too and really help to set your pulse racing.

While the visuals are innovative and unique, unfortunately the gameplay is much the same as your average shooter, and after a while the process of blasting everything that slides across the screen becomes somewhat mundane. There is some stuff to collect and a few power-ups to improve your ship, which adds a little more life to this game.

In terms of options, you can adjust the sound and music volume, rotate the screen, and view high scores, but there’s no facility for setting your own game controls.

You’ll be blown away by the graphics but once the novelty of this has worn off you’ll realize that Platypus plays like any other run-of-the-mill arcade shooter.