Whilst it could never compete with the likes of Super Mario Odyssey, Poi: Explorer Edition is a great platforming adventure in its own right. Anyone who enjoys a good ‘collect-a-thon’ will be in Heaven with this game – the Medallions are great fun to work towards and finding every single extra collectable will take some considerable time and effort. If you enjoy games of this genre, and have the means to do so, we’d definitely recommend giving Poi a go and help it to be noticed in what must be one of the cruellest release windows ever. It deserves to be played.
Poi: Explorer Edition is ultimately a Super Mario 64 clone that doesn't do much to stand out in the genre. That being said, its charming world and simplistic gameplay make it a great game for children or if you just want to wind down after a long day.
Look, firstly, only 10 bucks. I will admit it isn't long but it doesn't overstay its welcome, and it took me about 20 hours to 100%, and I will be replaying this game in the future. worth my money, good (if slightly generic) design, and very fun gameplay. if you want a fun small little game, pick Poi
Having put Poi down for a while to collect my thoughts for this review, I find myself looking back fondly on it, as I would with Banjo Kazooie or Gex, but I’m not sure it will make a lasting impression. Players who own a Switch and want something besides a a chubby Italian plumber on their screen can’t go wrong with Poi, but it’s hard to see it in that massive shadow.
Poi‘s greatest weakness lies in its sound design, but the core game is well-crated and a lot of fun. The smaller world size keeps players focused on the task at hand, while keeping mandatory collect-a-thon parts to a minimum puts a stronger focus on the platforming action. Thankfully, this is the game’s strongest point and anyone looking for a solid 3D platformer should check out Poi. It controls nearly-perfectly, with only an iffy camera causing issues from time to time. It looks solid for the most part too, with impressive lighting adding some impressive visual flair to what can sometimes be bland-looking stages.
Poi: Explorer Edition is a nice, budget 3D platformer that is perfect for younger Nintendo Switch owners. The challenges in the game can become rather repetitive, but if you are looking for a colourful platformer that is inoffensive and fun, then you can't go too wrong with Poi!
With a little extra time and resources, I imagine Poi could be made into a tighter, and all around better experience. That being said, it still does suffer from a general lack of creativity. Despite having its own aesthetic and musical sensibilities, Poi’s structure and mechanics are simply so close to those of Mario 64 that it’s impossible to avoid making comparisons. Also, it feels somewhat unfair to Poi that if was released in such close proximity to Mario Odyssey. However, putting it all into perspective, we are left with a perfectly decent game. Poi does nothing to move its genre forward and even though its wanting for polish in many areas, its faults are small enough that they will likely prove little more than minor annoyances for those looking to kill some time after they complete Mario’s latest.
Devoid of both style and substance, Poi is perhaps the least interesting 3D platformer currently available for the Nintendo Switch. Not only is it mechanically shallow with a relatively skill ceiling and floor, the level design rarely, if ever, gets creative enough to mask how lacklustre the platforming can be. To make matters worse, this is just charmless all around thanks to an incredibly safe aesthetic that renders a potentially fascinating world completely unmemorable. This neither reinvents platforming, nor serves as a suitable love letter to the genre, ensuring it is best left forgotten.
Just completed Poi: Explorer Edition last night and I was not disappointed. You can complete the game in a fairly short period of time, but it took me about 12 hours to 100% it (101 medallions). The controls and the angles of the camera are not top notch like a Mario title, but it is good enough to enjoy the game! The platformer / puzzles aspects are fairly simple and easy in general. I would have love new gameplay mechanics / something innovative. The graphics and the music are good, but nothing crazy/innovative. I like the fact there are 100 medallions to collect, but hate that it does not give you anything besides an extra medallion. The loading time was a little slow at times, but nothing major. The price is not that high for a physical version and Poi deserves an 7.5 out of 10 in my book.
SummaryPoi is a 3D adventure platformer throwback to the 90s era of classic platforming games. Explore big worlds, compete in challenge levels, meet quirky characters and pull off classic platforming feats on a journey to become a Master Explorer.