Rating of
3.5/5
A Whimsical Journey Through Time and Space
Nick - wrote on 12/27/23
"A Hat in Time" tells the story of Hat Kid, a space traveler with a cool hat that can manipulate time. As Hat Kid explores different worlds, she meets funny characters, and together, they go on a wild and silly adventure. The story is simple but super enjoyable, with lots of laughs and memorable moments that make it a blast for players of all ages.
Presentation
The game looks like a colorful and lively cartoon come to life. The characters are cute and expressive, and each world is packed with different types of objectives. The music fits perfectly, making the whole experience feel like you're playing in an animated movie. "A Hat in Time" is a treat for the eyes and ears.
Gameplay
Playing "A Hat in Time" is fun. I played it with my friend Chris via local couch co-op. We did have some issues here and there getting us both loaded in with our respective controllers working correctly, but once it was working we had no other issues. Controlling Hat Kid is decent, but still can present some challenges in a 3D platformer world. She can wear different hats that give her special powers, making the game exciting and varied. Jumping around, solving puzzles, and beating big bosses are all super fun. The time-traveling parts add a cool twist to the puzzles, making them even more interesting. Playing two player local co-op split screen on the TV worked well, definitely a fun game to play with someone else.
Originality
This game has its own style and vibe that makes it stand out. While it takes inspiration from classic games like Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Odyssey, it does bring its own cool ideas to the table. The hats and time-traveling make it unique. It's like the developers stole the best parts of old-school games and came up with new characters, story, worlds, and puzzles. But the gameplay in a nutshell is very familiar since you have many gathering tasks, including time pieces (aka stars), pons (aka coins), yarn to get hats (aka power-ups?), relics (unlockables), and stickers (collectibles). Buying and upgrading hats is probably the best part of the game.
Replay Value
There is some replay value if you want to go back and find all secrets and complete all challenges in each level. You can go back to old levels with new abilities, making things even more exciting. Some people even picked up this game as a game to speed run. But my overall opinion is once you play this game, you’ll probably not come back to it.
Recommendation
If you love games that are fun, cute, and a bit goofy, this one's for you. The story is silly, the world is colorful, and you’ll scratch that itch for wanting to play another 3D Mario game.
Stats
Hours Played: 5.3 hours
Achievements: 20%
Ratings
Story: 3/5
Presentation: 4.5/5
Game Play: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Replay Value: 1.5/5
Overall (not an average) 3.5/5
