Clive'n'Wrench: PS5 Review

Developed by Dinosaur Bytes Studio
Published by Numskull Games
Platform: PS5

It's back to the 90s style of platform gaming with Clive'n'Wrench, a kind of oddball game that never quite settles on anything massively challenging, but feels like a warm family game to sit down and enjoy.

Across 11 worlds, it's up to you to try and stop the diabolical Dr Daucus who's hellbent on causing chaos across different historical eras. Taking on control of a hare and a monkey to try and do all this though is another matter, with technical issues plaguing the gameplay as the levels pass.

From elements of Banjo Kazooie in both gameplay and visuals style, Clive'n'Wrench feels like the kind of platformer the 90s Nintendo was famed for - all colour and not much content, its desire to recapture the past is both a good and bad thing for players.

While levels glisten with different historical details, the mechanics of leaping around and platforming are made harder by the game's incessant desire to ensure that the actual gameplay just isn't easy to master.

One wrong press of the button or one mistimed jump and it's back to the start with plenty of frustration boiling through in ways you'd least expect - or want from a game of its ilk.

A very formulaic approach to platforming makes Clive'n'Wrench the kind of low level game young kids would enjoy, but anyone with a more progressive approach to the genre will end up feeling irritated in extremis with its issues and buggy nature.