Tanuki Sunset Review (Valdenskunkie)
This game is fun for a little bit at a time, but the lack of polish ends up ruining the experience as a whole.
The core of the gameplay works pretty well and the visuals along with the music really nail the vibe the game is aiming for. On its own, rolling down a hill, dodging, weaving and doing the occasional trick is pretty satisfying. Unfortunately the level design is where the game primarily fails. Checkpoints are far too distant, meaning the player has to have a perfect run in order to advance, but the levels are randomly regenerated upon failure, meaning the player cannot learn from their mistakes and work on improving performance on particular combinations of obstacles. The random generation also worsens this by linking together track elements that shouldn't go together, like a reversal just before a hairpin turn. This can lead to frustration as progression slows. The Arcade mode alleviates this somewhat with its bespoke fixed courses, however, you need to advance on the main map in order to unlock arcade mode courses, so you end up right back on the grind.
Overall still fun in small doses, but could have been much more. Wait for a summer sale.