POPUCOM Preview

Does the mixture of a cooperative, third-person shooter, match-3, with puzzle elements sound like fun to you? If you've never thought of it, neither have I! Yet, in comes developer Hypergryph with their Steam Next Fest title POPUCOM, delivering... precisely that. Somehow.

Summarising this title as a whole feels... difficult. Tackling so many genres at once, this co-op experience fills in a lot of possible holes that have been missing in gaming for quite a while. Its gameplay and cooperation feel somewhere along the ranks of Portal 2, and it mixes these elements in a similar style that feels familiar and enjoyable with a new modern take to it all.

When the Pomus invade the world, Yolkie sends out a distress signal and brings in two heroes from another dimension. Equipped with brand-new colour-changing abilities, these two will be charged with utilising all of the strengths of this world to cooperate and bring about the fall of the invading species.

If you didn't get it from the art style and the names, then the premise will give it up: POPUCOM looks like a game made for children. The story is simple, it's very black-and-white hero-and-villain, and it's definitely not the sustenance to it all. The inclusion of a narrative feels like a mandatory step that Hypergryph took to ensure the journey wouldn't feel hollow and A-to-B in terms of selecting levels and moving on, and it's more akin to what you'd expect in Super Mario — it's there to give you something to do, but it isn't the core of it all.

In fact, I'd argue the narrative is pretty much non-existent past a certain point. Sure, you're following a tale as you set out to gather bots, build a missile, and blow a moon-sized monster into smithereens (because why not), but the real core of POPUCOM is the gameplay elements, and Hypergryph nailed that aspect.

The Next Fest demo gives you the opportunity to complete five tutorial levels and one "real" level before it ends, culminating in about 90 minutes of gameplay total (and far less if you and your companion have good synergy and aren't maliciously shooting each other at every puzzle). Equipped with two colours each, you'll need to navigate through a world where coloured sections will kill you if you don't select the correct one, meaning that some areas are unlocked for another player to experience while you sit back and wait for them to do it.

Then, you'll be equipped with four additional tools, each with its own gimmick. They interact with the world in different ways, and Hypergryph utilises them in unique mixes to ensure that the gameplay is fun for both players simultaneously. The tutorial levels acquaint you with the basics, and one of my favourite parts was that the developers trust you to figure things out — no hand-holding to be found here. It leads to brief and exciting "aha!" moments that become all too rare in lighthearted titles that don't trust the player enough.

Figuring out a puzzle could take some time and make for exciting new possibilities. POPUCOM's ingenuity feels akin to the first time I played Portal 2, and I feel obliged to remake that comparison (though it is far less "big-brain" and "sciencey" than the latter). Unlike It Takes Two, which gives you a mechanic per level, you use your gimmicks with each stage simultaneously, and you mix and match them to ensure that you can pass any specific section with your partner.

Teamwork is paramount, and it led to some of the hardest laughing my wife and I have had since we played Human Fall Flat for the first time. The experience is easy enough that shenanigans can ensue if you let your lighthearted side come out, and it creates a friend-and-foe relationship between you and your partner that creates difficulty whenever it isn't organically present.

Combat involves match-3 shooting mechanics where enemies will have coloured balls on them that you need to match. You'll need to match the hue of the foes you're fighting and place your shots strategically, especially as shooting wrong can lead to adding more "life" to each enemy by giving you more matches needed before you can complete the encounter.

The levels we got to play had brilliant boss fights that incorporated teamwork and the use of mechanics to ensure that you can both survive through it. Communication was needed, but teamwork was vital in ensuring you could complete the final one without both falling to the colourful foes. It's distinctive from child-focused games, and it's where POPUCOM is deceptive: though it has a family-friendly exterior, you'll sooner give up on the game before your kid does.

The lighthearted, colourful style might put some off from the experience, but make no mistake: POPUCOM is the most fun I've had in a mandatory cooperative experience since Portal 2. It fixes the complaints I had about It Takes Two and incorporates unique and new ways to bring to life the massive amounts of genres it melds together. Hypergryph's debut title went from something I didn't even know existed to one of the most exciting upcoming releases; the tutorial levels are brilliant, and I can't wait to see how the team builds upon the already-established foundation.