Hirogami is a 3D action platformer developed by Bandai Namco’s Singapore and Malaysia studios, and it makes an arresting impression with its dazzling, origami-inspired aesthetic that’s as delicate as it is captivating. Every level, character, and object is designed with a physicality and tangibility, bursting with vibrant colours and the serene style of traditional Japanese origami. On paper, this gives flashbacks to Sony’s Tearaway, a similarly themed 3D platformer with a crafty-like premise and a hero who could be folded into other things. The similarities end there because the developers forgot to imitate the inspiration, and what is left is a fairly dull experience. Where does everything go wrong?
Hirogami’s story hinges on the fusion of traditional craft with a modern digital threat from glitchy “Blight” invaders. This is a very anti-modernist theme, and the plot runs with it, with its protagonist being an old warrior, folded from paper. The fan-wielding Hiro embarks on a quest to save his fragile world, and the setup promises a whimsical adventure. While the visuals and concept are deftly executed, everything else stumbles, leaving a game that’s pleasant yet frustratingly uneven.
There is a surprising amount of clunky exposition and dialogue. The text is written in a very utilitarian style, and characters overexplain the plot. The look and feel of Hirogami should have relied on visual storytelling. There shouldn’t have been any text at all apart from the tutorial prompts. The more the story insists upon itself, the harder it is to take any of it seriously.
The core experience hinges on three pillars: transformation, combat, and platforming. Hiro’s ability to morph into animals like a frog for high jumps or an armadillo for rolling through debris or off ramps is the standout. These shifts inject creativity into puzzle solving and exploration, encouraging experimentation across linear but multilayered levels. Collecting paper cranes through challenges (no-damage runs or high-health clears) adds replay value, though the grind for cosmetics is more of a chore than a worthy reward.
The world invites exploration with secrets tucked away, but the fixed camera often obscures critical platforms, turning jumps into exercises in trial and error. The spatial awareness in some sequences is not planned well, making easy obstacle courses more difficult than they actually are.
Regretfully, combat is where Hirogami crumples hardest. Hiro’s fan-based attacks, slashing or blowing enemies, lack weight, feel sluggish, and are imprecise. The controls have a surprising amount of delay, making actions feel rough and unwieldy. Fights against the black orb monsters devolve into repetitive button mashing, with little strategy beyond dodging and spamming. Scraps are braindead and are at odds with the artistic-infused ambiance. The animal forms, which are a highlight during platforming, are underutilised in battles, reducing them to gimmicks rather than game changers. Hirogami is also on the buggy side. Defeated enemies get stuck in the environment or caught on Hiro’s geometry.
The soundtrack is an expected traditional Japanese instrumentation, and it carries the experience, lending a meditative flavour to the six-to-eight-hour journey. At times, it’s sleep inducing, making a methodical game feel even longer, which is saying a lot considering how brief it is. Levels blend hand-crafted beauty with digital distortion, creating a striking metaphor for the conflict between tradition and technology. However, the narrative lacks depth and fails to fully explore its ideas, leaving Hiro’s tedious quest without the emotional weight to match its visual splendor. Puzzles are serviceable but rarely clever, and the platforming, while functional, suffers from floaty controls and inconsistent hit detection.
Interesting, did you encounter many bugs? I’ve had some where I get stuck between the environment and the Blight blocks, mostly after getting the frog transformation