Pode
Pode
Développé et édité par le studio indépendant Henchman & Goon sur le moteur Unity, Pode est sorti le 21 juin 2018 sur PC, PlayStation 4 et Nintendo Switch au prix de 15,99 EUR. Ce titre classé dans les genres aventure, réflexion, plateforme et indépendant propose une expérience centrée sur la coopération et l'entraide, jouable seul ou à deux, avec une manette recommandée et au moins une requise pour le mode coopératif.
L'intrigue suit Bulder, un petit rocher, et Glo, une étoile tombée, qui unissent leurs forces pour gravir le mont Fjellheim. À travers l'exploration de cavernes anciennes et magiques, le duo redonne vie à un monde endormi et découvre les ruines d'une civilisation oubliée. La progression repose sur la résolution d'énigmes environnementales qui exigent de combiner les talents uniques de chaque personnage, le jeu mettant l'accent sur des actions positives dans une atmosphère détendue. La direction artistique puise son inspiration dans le folklore et la culture norvégiens, offrant un style visuel distinctif.
Côté réception, le jeu affiche une note agrégée de 68,36. La presse spécialisée a globalement salué la proposition : GamingTrend a qualifié l'œuvre de « breathtakingly beautiful » et d'incontournable pour les amateurs de jeux de réflexion, louant des personnages simples mais expressifs ; Gaming Nexus a relevé un titre « fun and relaxing » dont la complexité croît avec l'acquisition de nouvelles capacités. Du côté des joueurs, les retours mettent en avant de « gorgeous graphics » et une histoire mignonne idéale pour se détendre, avec une durée de vie d'une dizaine d'heures en coopération. L'expérience en ligne via Steam Remote Play Together est jugée fonctionnelle, bien qu'un utilisateur ait déconseillé la Switch Lite en raison de la taille de son écran pour le jeu à deux, tandis qu'un autre résume simplement l'expérience par un « banger ».
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« Pode is breathtakingly beautiful, and a must have for any lover of puzzle games. The characters are simple but expressive, each with their own mechanics, physics, and skills, wandering a barren mountain which comes to life before your eyes. A co-op title at its core, Pode can be played in single-player with the same level of fun, and overflowing with puzzles that are fair and approachable while still offering plenty of challenge. »
« Pode is a fun and relaxing puzzle game that starts out simple and becomes more complex as the game progresses and you gain new abilities. While the game is meant for co-op play, it plays just as well single-player, though you will have to constantly swap between Glo and Bulder. Having a second player can also help with solving puzzles as you have a second person helping you out, but alone or with a friend, with its enjoyable art style and relaxing atmosphere, Pode is a puzzle game worth checking out. »
« If you’re looking for a puzzle-based adventure with a touch of platforming, this is your game. It’s great for co-op too, but it can be played on your own as well. »
« With its subtle, relaxing and appropriate musical score, gloriously soft visuals and a simple yet emotional story, Pode succeeds in offering a generous and humble cooperative yet challenging 8-10 hours of content that will shine brightly - especially in among the assortment of fast-paced and frantic multiplayer games that we have right now on the eShop. »
« Pode is a little bit pricey, but if you've got someone to play with it's a great example of what couch co-op should be. »
« Pode is a clever co-operative puzzle-platformer whose spotlight on both camaraderie and companionship makes for one of the more genuinely moving experiences I’ve had on Switch. Coupled with the game’s bright and charming visuals, Pode is such a delightfully unexpected surprise and a must for anyone looking for an engaging team-based game on the Nintendo eShop. »
« While Pode can be frustrating in it’s lack of communication it is a rather beautiful thing when experienced with others. »
« Overall, I predict that Pode’s problems will come more from external forces than from within the game itself. With 20-30 new competitors flooding into the eShop every week, this charming little puzzler will inevitably have a hard time getting noticed. For those who give the bud some attention, however, a beautiful flower will grow. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« Gorgeous graffics with cute story progressing puzzles. Just the type of relaxing games that I love »
« I played this game with my wife from the opening cut-scene to the credits, and we played on a Switch Lite. I would not recommend that system because of the small screen size. Some levels are very large and we were squinting at the screen to try and tell where our cute little cube or fairy was fluttering. Honestly, I would not recommend the game because it was hard to tell where to jump. Often you can’t jump where it looks like you should be able to, and making some jumps to the next area is an exercise in trial and error. At heart, this issue is owing to the angle of the camera; they have dropped the camera low to accentuate the beauty of the plants and crystals as they grow, which we really enjoyed, but if the camera had been higher and looking downward at a sharper angle, the game would have been more playable. I wouldn’t recommend it because I think there are better co-op games out there, but I’m still giving it a 5 because despite the issues, we enjoyed working together to solve the puzzles the game threw at us. »
« Adorably fun! This is my favorite co-op puzzle platformer for two. The puzzles are satisfying, and the overall experience relaxing, with only the occasional "how were we supposed to figure that out?' And though the story is sparse, the characters are so charming, it's hard not to be drawn in emotionally. »
« Some puzzles are obtuse, but if you're in the right mood (relaxed) and your girlfriend/wife loves puzzle games, this is the *perfect* choice for couch co-op. »
« Great game to play with a puzzle lover or a friend who isn’t all that into video games. The controls are simple, and the levels are beautifully designed. The downsides to the game is the short length of play and very little story development. Don’t pay more than $20 »
« Wonderful game with beautiful visuals and soundtrack. My son loves playing Co-op with me, solving puzzles as two interesting and lovable characters. Highly recommend to all. »
« The environment in this game is simply relaxing and beautiful! The graphics and the music are perfect. This is a 3D puzzle game that you played two little characters with different abilities who must unite to succeed in improving their path. I had more fun playing in coop than solo. I recommend this game to amateur puzzle for your game collection »
« I recently downloaded Pode on my Switch and have played for about 6 hours during the weekend. I was impressed by the elegant-simpleness and quality of the gameplay, puzzles, and graphics (yes, they are impressive!). I played the game with my 5-year old, with my 7-year old and my wife. We really enjoyed the game and co-op dynamics, they are really quite fun. The characters are "quantum leap cute"! The levels are entertaining, "puzzling", and pleasant to watch (water, rock, snow, plants, glowing icons, secret doors, etc). Overall, this is one of the best family games I have ever played! »
