Gibbon seems to capture the emotional resonance more polished games like Ori have achieved, in part because what we're seeing is a reality. It is a shame it does not rise to meet the same standard of platforming, but it is presumably a small fraction of the budget. What remains is a fast-paced jungle jaunt that, while feeling at times spectacular and acrobatic, feels rather rudimentary and hangs its hat on the simple premise that grows tiresome at points. There's definite tedium that sets in once you leave the jungle's safety and discover that shimmying along rooftops and utility lines is the only thru-road. It might very well be a deliberate case of illustrating losing freedoms, translated through movement that merely isn't as fun as what came before, but I'd say this is a long bow to attract.
Gibbon is an extremely mechanically simple experience and places its central concentrate on the art of brachiation-the act of moving from branch to branch. While there's no real consequence to talk of, Gibbon is a game where momentum is king, and taking advantage of the jungle layout to your advantage is key. As Pink, you're able to run uphill, swing, slide down mossy trees, and execute mid-air acrobatics that serve as boosts to her speed as she chains all her abilities together. It may be basic, but it's also satisfying when at full flight, and Pink moves from each of the environment's elements very intuitively.
Pink's journey lasts all an hour or so and her ten chapters will comfortably be handled in one sitting, but it's a whirlwind ride that does not seem to let up. The pacing and stakes are impeccably established, as the action is seamless as each scenario bleeds into the next. Unfortunately, the performance around the Switch (granted, I am still running a base model) doesn't always compare well to what Beyond the Trees attempts to achieve in terms of its free flow action with stuttering and screen-tearing a regularity.
Not needing to be laser-focused around the game's gameplay loop also provides ample opportunity to take in the game's scenic and gorgeously hand-painted vistas. For this type of short game, the performers do a phenomenal job of showing us almost a timelapse of methods these forests respond under duress once touched by deforestation, fire, and industry-perhaps probably the most crippling of the lot. Its presentation as a one-take vignette is usually interspersed with close-up set pieces that advance Pink's story-these provide us with our best look at these unexpectedly adorable apes. Despite its performance hang-ups on my original Switch, Gibbon also wonderfully captures the fast, free-form travel of these primates with a few really smooth animation.
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is yet another mechanically simple but heartfelt tale from a small studio that, on this occasion, definitely had something to say. And I think it's that message, along with seeing these animals displaced using their colour-rich element, which makes this game hit surprisingly hard. I would not say that the Switch version is the optimal way to experience Gibbon: Past the Trees, but its brevity lends itself well to some handheld.
