After the original Lawn Moving Simulator, Curve Digital publishes an equally surprising new game, developed by the English indie studio Bossa Studios. In " I am fish“, No surprise, you play one, or rather several fish, in turn in an extremely rich and seductive cartoon environment. The scenario draws its ideas from one of the Disney cartoons, Finding Nemo, not to mention it, since you will have to make your “Fish” escape from his jar to join his friends.
And from the start, the intro scene puts us in the bath. Bossa Studios also displays a few nods to its previous title " I am Bread »In which you played… a slice of bread, in a hilarious physics-based game. We use the same ingredients here, and from the first minutes you will take control of your fish bowl in a gameplay à la Marble madness. The levels are quite simple and linear, you will have to connect a starting point and an ending point while avoiding a lot of obstacles.
4 fish, 4 skills
Let's go back to the scenario for a moment. You will play to begin with a simple goldfish, which has just been separated from its 3 friends while 4 of them lived in the aquarium of a shop. Our 4 protagonists are of different species and each have their own aptitude, with the exception of the goldfish which only knows how to roll the jar on the ground, like the others. We find a flying fish, which, you guessed it, is able to leap out of the water and hover for a few seconds, a piranha which is able to cling to the environment with its mouth, and finally a porcupine fish which has the ability to inflate and roll like a ball on the ground.
Regardless of the movement capacity of the fish you are leading, it is good to remember that it cannot stay out of the water for long. No need to want to glide or ride for long minutes, you will have to quickly reach a puddle, at least, to take a breath of fresh air. Our 4 friends evolve anyway, each on their own, and aim to meet at sea. The player has a map on which he chooses his mission. Each mission is specific to a fish.
The level design is a marvel and offers really cool ideas. For example, you will have to find a way to flood a house to be able to progress there (you are given a hint: blocking the toilets and flushing works pretty well!). Just because “I am Fish” displays cartoonish graphics doesn't mean they're no less detailed. It's a true small-scale town within a large-scale town, and crossing a street and its traffic, in a rolling jar, will remind you of the size and fragility of a goldfish.
In the end, Bossa and Curve Digital offers us an original, well-designed title on PC and Xbox Series S / X, which will appeal to young and old alike (beware of the PEGI 12 game…. He yes fish can die, and the piranha loves sometimes bathe in blood, it takes little) with a well-dosed and progressive difficulty. We want more!