Summary
Developer: Yacht Club Games
Publisher: Yacht Club Games
Platforms – Xbox Series, Switch 2, PS5, PC (Reviewed)
Review copy given by Publisher
Developer Yacht Club Games has officially brought the highly anticipated Mina the Hollower to the world on all platforms. If you are familiar with Shovel Knight, then you’ll find joy in this brand-new title.
In this game, you play as Mina, a renowned Hollower hurtled into a desperate mission to rescue a cursed island. Burrow beneath hazards and monsters, whip foes into oblivion, and gear up with an arsenal of sidearms and trinkets. Let’s dive into our review.
At the start, you’ll embark on an expedition to Tenebrous Isle, where Mina is traveling on a ship that will eventually be attacked, causing a huge crash to happen. The unknown underwater creature will knock the NPCs out cold, and now it’s your job to investigate what’s going on. As you explore the ship, you’ll have the choice of selecting a weapon after speaking with Boatswain. There isn’t necessarily a bad weapon choice to make. They all work and have their advantages and disadvantages.
Mina the Hollower features a mysterious open world, featuring a ton of NPCs, items to find, and bosses to fight. You can easily get lost finding treasure chests via puzzles that can help your journey. It’s definitely easy to get lost in this game. The main villain in the game is Thorne, who is a bat that served as the former head of Lionel’s guard before betraying the Baron and destroying the generators alongside his shock troopers.
As already revealed by Yacht Club Games, this can take you around 20 to 30 hours to fully complete. I personally could see this taking much longer than that if you are a completionist.
Gameplay Impressions
You are quickly engaged in Mina the Hollower’s gameplay, which is not only fun but challenging. I say this in a good way. At the start, you only get up to 3 lives to heal up when you are in battles until you find upgrades. You can burrow to hide from enemies, of course, and also parry against them.
Mina is equipped with the main weapon, and you’ll even find sidearms to help you in fights. However, when you completely die and go back to the last save zone, you’ll lose the sidearm until you find more. The great challenge about Mina and those who are fans of this style of game is that when you die, you go to the last checkpoint or safe zone. The good thing is that for the most part, everything you did prior to dying is usually saved, aside from losing the Sidearm, but if you die too much, you’ll lose all your bones.
One of the many items to collect in Mina the Hollower is Bones. By collecting these, you’ll be able to eventually level up your Attack, Defense, and Sidearm power. This is crucial as you progress through the game. Another collectible item that also has an impact on gameplay is Trinkets. These help you in battle. For example, if you use Willow the Wisp, it will summon once you take damage and will boost your attack damage and speed. These are companions that help you on your journey and make a huge difference. However, finding them isn’t easy as they are scattered throughout the world.
For a 2D Platformer, this game gets everything right. It’s super fun to play when fighting enemies, even if it takes you multiple tries to defeat a main boss. There are over 20 bosses in Mina the Hollower, so you’ll have your hands full on your journey. It’s the most fun I’ve had from a platformer in a while. The burrowing mechanic of going underground is unique and something we don’t see. It allows you to protect yourself from enemies but also traverse large gaps, giving you a jump boost.
Another positive addition from Yacht Club Games is a modifier that can help make your gameplay experience easier if you want to avoid some of the stress. By doing this, you will disqualify yourself from getting any Achievements. It’s also worth mentioning that this game offers accessibility options as well, which is always good to see.
The paths you get taken on to find each boss or major area of the game are very interesting. You’ll always be in for a surprise, to say the least.
8-Bit Delight
Clearly, Mina the Hollower comes in authentic 8-bit visuals that are in the style of Game Boy Color and refined in the modern era. This makes me love the game even more. We rarely get games these days in this style of graphics, yet it has excellent gameplay, dialogue, and overall great storytelling.
Not only is this game 8-bit, but it has widescreen visuals and very detailed animation throughout. Even its cutscenes are impressive. It’s no surprise to see these visuals after seeing years of Shovel Knight.
I like to compare the visuals to Chrono Trigger. Mina the Hollower is similar in that you truly feel the differences in each environment you explore. The character design throughout is also impressive.
Sound Design & Music
The game not only offers enjoyable gameplay and impressive 8-bit visuals but also features music that enhances the overall experience. Whether you’re engaged in a boss fight or simply exploring, the music adds depth to every moment, regardless of the challenges you may face.
Menu music and generic sound effects are perfect the way they are. It’s almost like this game is a perfect experience.
Verdict
Mina the Hollower is an excellent action-adventure 2D platformer that features intriguing storytelling, enjoyable yet challenging gameplay, and an overall exceptional experience. What I think holds the game back a little bit is the mysterious aspect of it and the lack of direction.
I don’t have any issues with how the gameplay loop functions when you die and similar events. The challenge is what defines the game. It’s just a classic experience you’ll have to get your hands on this year.
