Developer: Software Creations Publisher: Tradewest Release: 09/93 Genre: Action
The competition among mascot platformers during the 16-bit era was fierce. As lines in the sand were drawn any new entrant in the contest for the hearts and minds of young children needed to be different. It does not get more distinct than Plok. I can see why the game is not more well-known; they certainly tried with the marketing but no matter what Plok elicit a WTF response. This living pile of clothes is quite possibly the most unique platforming star ever and will not win any contests for coolness. But his game speaks for him and makes for a fun if repetitive afternoon of fun.
The game’s loose plot sees the flag that belonged to Plok’s grandfather stolen with our hero in hot pursuit. This is just a ruse however as the islands that Plok rule over are soon overrun by fleas. While it is not integral to the game itself Plok does monologue over the course of his journey and the story does play a role in switching up the setting as you progress.
A year or two before Rayman burst on the scene Plok did it first. Our weird protagonist can use all of his limbs as projectiles. But in this case it comes with drawbacks. You must wait for your body parts to come back lest you lose them temporarily. If you do Plok is forced to make do and can even be reduced to a hopping torso. The game has been designed around this ability as it is used for puzzle solving as well as busting heads. You will frequently have to sacrifice a body part to progress and in some cases all of them. It gets a little worrisome when you cannot protect yourself but the game is not so cruel as to attack you during these segments.
The flying limbs are cool at first but bring problems. You can only attack straight forward and they did not design around it. Between the uneven terrain and your body parts slow return combat is frustrating. The middle portion of the game will try your patience and does not get better. The hit detection is also suspect. It is a shame since there are so many options at your disposal. Overall it does not bring the game down but are frustrating enough to be notable.
The first few levels of Plok serve as an introduction to the game’s mechanics. This is not a straightforward platformer as the levels are mostly constructed of interconnected islands. These pieces of land are on uneven terrain that morph and shift as part of the puzzles necessary for progress. The kitchen sink style approach to the game’s design is probably its greatest asset. Even though the journey is long the game has new mechanics at every turn. There are a variety of transformations and costumes that spice up gameplay. While temporary they go a long toward relieving the repetition in the game. But it is still there.
The pacing is what drags Plok down. The story takes the game through three phases: the island hopping adventure to recollect the flags, the extermination of the fleas, and the journey to face the flea queen. The problem is the game is too long for its own. Every switch in focus is welcome. But the game drags out each premise far too long. After the third or fourth repetitive flea hunt among the near exact backdrop you will want it to be over. But it continues for almost twelve straight stages. The process repeats in the flea queen’s lair but is even worse. These levels back load all of the vehicle transformations to its detriment. They all follow the exact same format, as if they were in a crunch to finish the game and copy pasted. Had they spread them out the game would be so much better.
The difficulty in Plok is significant. Despite the length of your life bar you can only take five hits before death. Life restoring fruit is rare meaning any mistake is potentially fatal. To the game’s credit you can easily build up a large stock of extra lives which is good because you will need them. The game is full of leaps of faith and confusing level design so having that buffer helps. The most egregious flaw is the lack of battery back-up or passwords to save progress. Plok is a long game and it is asking a lot to complete it in one sitting. Either of those options would have made the game better.
In Closing
Plok is a strange game but I like it overall. The production values are stellar, especially the soundtrack which is one of the best of that generation. The game has its flaws but the strength of its gameplay helps it rise above them. At its best the variety in gameplay and mechanics is some of the best in the genre. At its worst it is boring. It is interesting to see how many of its ideas would later end up in other titles, maybe not explicitly but the influence is there. Regardless this is a good bordering on great game that is worth your time.
