DOUBLE PUG SWITCH Review for Steam

Double Pug Switch is a simple side scrolling precision platformer and is a frustratingly addictive indie game developed by The Polygon Loft. In order to reverse the consequences from a catastrophic laboratory accident, Otis the Pug must jump through different dimensions to stop the evil cat, Sker. Otis has to switch between dimensions and avoid countless spikes and pitfalls to get to Sker and turn him back into the good cat, Whiskers.

Double Pug Switch is not a game for the easily frustrated or people with slower reaction times. This is a game that will require your total attention and focus at all times. You have to survive by narrowly dodging spikes, avoiding fast approaching pitfalls, and collecting power-ups to inch your way to the next checkpoint, all while higher skilled players try to collect gold and purple coins to buy neat cosmetic hats and masks for Otis to collect in the game’s hat shop. The player will infinitely keep repeating from the last checkpoint they reached, until they reach the next checkpoint or the end of the level.

Let’s start off with the good traits of Double Pug Switch. The art style of this game is adorably cartoonish and soft. Character designs are simple, yet easily distinguishable, which makes the characters more charming and memorable. There are 5 different dimensions, each with 7 levels and one boss fight at the end. The level backgrounds followed a theme around several dimensions and were stylish and simple, and very importantly, they were not distracting during the fast action gameplay. The music was surprisingly catchy and thematically fitted the aesthetic of the different levels.

The hat shop is a wonderful feature that gives players an incentive to do well on stages as well as increase the game’s replayability. There is also a marker placed vertically on the screen that lets the player know where they last died, to help indicate how much or how little progress you are making. Unfortunately, there are a few minor flaws that the developers overlooked and could have improved on.

There were a few different sections where the checkpoint started too close to a section of obstacles. The reason that is an issue is because Otis immediately bolts forward after restarting and there is a peculiar timing delay around how fast you can switch between dimensions and there were a few checkpoints that felt cheapened by their own placement. I think those sections could have placed the checkpoint a little further back to allow for some more reaction time.

Another criticism is that you are forced to use the “Z” key on the keyboard to jump and the “X” key to switch dimensions but there is no option to remap those buttons. Eventually, after 100’s of deaths, my fingers started getting worn out and I was wishing that option was included.

While the boss fights were exciting at first, they are a little too simple. The boss stages are usually not the hardest level in a dimension, even though it’s always saved for last. You only get to dodge spikes, missiles, and lasers; it would have been much more engaging and fulfilling if you had to attack and damage Sker’s machine somehow. The Polygon Loft also failed to think about the accessibility for newer players of the genre; a feature that adjusts the speed for less experienced players would have been nice.

Double Pug Switch offers hours of highly challenging, yet rewarding fun if you are into fast precision platformers like Flappy Bird and The Impossible Game. At its core, it is a very simple game and although there is some love put into this game, it could have been a little more ambitious. 

Rate: 6.5/10

Check Out the Double Pug Switch Steam Trailer:

For more information, please visit: https://www.doublepugswitch.com/

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Andrew Santacruz

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For most of my life, I have had the great fortune and pleasure of experiencing hundreds of different video game franchises and genres. Some of my all-time favorite titles are The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Dark Souls, and Banjo-Kazooie. I have always played video games with the goal of having a good time.

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