Pitched as a "living cartoon", you'll fight, glide, run, and jump alongside swapping textures to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Art director Patrick Ruckdeschel explains that Ruffy, the protagonist, is on a quest to return the six golden letters. "Ruffy has to unravel age-old mysteries, compete in skating contests, and summon sunken islands to the sea’s surface. Wherever you go, you will find new grounds to explore. You can even jump into walls and solve puzzles in 2D levels."
To create the art style, the developer drew everything first by hand, with the main character alone having 600 drawings dedicated to them. "Why so many? Well, he was drawn from eight sides for everything he does. No wonder it took seven years to create this world. The result is a vibrant, colourful world, and we hope you`ll have fun exploring it."
As for how those classic PlayStation inspirations come into play, Ruckdeschel adds that Ruffy and the Riverside is designed around the team's childhood memories. "We have put much passion into Ruffy and the Riverside, and bringing it to PlayStation feels like a dream to us. We all grew up with classics like Crash Bandicoot and Ratchet & Clank, and you can certainly feel those vibes in Ruffy and the Riverside."
Do you like the look of Ruffy and the Riverside? It'll need to fight for attention with Death Stranding 2 releasing on the very same day, but share your first impressions in the comments below.
