Does this platformer fall flat?
Flat Kingdom: Paper’s Cut Edition is set in a beautiful 2D land, but now it’s threatened by 3D malice and chaos. A wise sorcerer created six magical jewels that kept the effects of the third dimension at bay, granting peace and prosperity. However, one day an evil masked thief named Hex disrupted the balance and made the chaos return.
Flat Kingdom Paper’s Cut Edition is the console version of the 2016 PC game. I actually missed out on the original game but was glad to get to go through it on PS5 where I was pleasantly surprised by this charming platformer. You essentially turn your character into either a triangle, square or circle to defeat the enemies that approach you, think of it like a rock-paper-scissors scenario and you’ll understand the combat well.
Platforming itself is simple enough since it’s 2D, though 3D objects do get in your way in quite inventive ways. It reminds me a bit of Paper Mario in many respects and like that series, has a clever wit to the dialogue. It’s not the most original of stories but it really doesn’t need to be and does more than enough to get you through to the end.
Each world has its own boss, and they can actually be challenging, at least until you figure out the weak spot and their attack patterns. Trophy hunters will be pleased to know that gaining the Platinum won’t even require you to beat the game, I actually obtained it somewhere in the second world without realising how I even did it, plus the game has a separate PS4 trophy list so you can double-stack them quickly if you are that way inclined.
I did finish the game and would still recommend that you do, even if you nab that Platinum early on though. It’s deceptively simple, when actually it can be quite smart in its design and appearance. The framerate never dropped, and load times were more or less absent. The 2D visuals are charming and it’s great when a 3D element gets thrown into the mix, plus the soundtrack is also pretty impressive.
The Verdict
Flat Kingdom: Paper’s Cut Edition is a charming platformer from start to finish and while you don’t actually need to finish it to obtain the Platinum trophy, I still recommend that you do so you don’t miss out on what the game still has to offer. I hope we get a sequel or some sort of spiritual successor down the road though…