First of all, I'll just say this - I never played the original DKC games, and I'm not sure if ever will. My first Donkey Kong game was Donkey Kong Country Returns, and I loved it; it's one of the best platformers ever in my opinion, mainly because of its excellent level design and gorgeous attention to detail. Sadly, despite having some strong highlights, Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze just can't hold a candle to it in my opinion.
There are some really great aspects of DKC:TR. These include the beautiful and colourful levels, which, like DKCR, are very detailed. The levels appear slightly more cartoony this time around, which unfortunately makes the levels not as memorable as the ones in DKCR, but they are still highly creative and a lot of fun to explore. The soundtrack is pretty good, and it's very satisfying and rewarding to complete the game's levels after collecting the KONG letters and picking up some puzzle pieces along the way.
However, DKC:TR is plagued by one considerably big flaw - its difficulty. Simply put, DKC:TR's levels can be extremely unforgiving. Whereas DKCR benefited from a smooth and relaxing difficulty curve which gradually became more and more demanding as you progressed through the game, DKC:TR's difficulty jumps up so quickly that it's alarming. Now, I know a lot of people love brutally hard levels (some even believe that all video games should be brutally hard, an assertion that I thoroughly disagree with) but to me, a game primarily needs to be fun more than difficult. DKC:TR is fun, but it includes some really cheap and nasty level mechanics that over time become almost insufferable. It's difficult for me to fully appreciate a game's art when the game is overloaded with hazards and constantly playing tricks on you.
One thing that is included in the game that attempts to lower the difficulty is Funky Kong's Shop, which sells a number of useful items. I do like this shop and use it often, since it does make some levels less aggravating. However, having to rely on it isn't much fun, and it doesn't make any of the game's worst tricks go away.
To put it simply, DKC:TR is an enjoyable game, but it doesn't have the heart of its predecessor. DKCR was a jolly, artistic romp that only increased in difficulty over time, but DKC:TR is a much less friendly experience. A good game, but not a great one.
A good game, but it lacks heart
First of all, I'll just say this - I never played the original DKC games, and I'm not sure if ever will. My first Donkey Kong game was Donkey Kong Country Returns, and I loved it; it's one of the best platformers ever in my opinion, mainly because of its excellent level design and gorgeous attention to detail. Sadly, despite having some strong highlights, Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze just can't hold a candle to it in my opinion.
There are some really great aspects of DKC:TR. These include the beautiful and colourful levels, which, like DKCR, are very detailed. The levels appear slightly more cartoony this time around, which unfortunately makes the levels not as memorable as the ones in DKCR, but they are still highly creative and a lot of fun to explore. The soundtrack is pretty good, and it's very satisfying and rewarding to complete the game's levels after collecting the KONG letters and picking up some puzzle pieces along the way.
However, DKC:TR is plagued by one considerably big flaw - its difficulty. Simply put, DKC:TR's levels can be extremely unforgiving. Whereas DKCR benefited from a smooth and relaxing difficulty curve which gradually became more and more demanding as you progressed through the game, DKC:TR's difficulty jumps up so quickly that it's alarming. Now, I know a lot of people love brutally hard levels (some even believe that all video games should be brutally hard, an assertion that I thoroughly disagree with) but to me, a game primarily needs to be fun more than difficult. DKC:TR is fun, but it includes some really cheap and nasty level mechanics that over time become almost insufferable. It's difficult for me to fully appreciate a game's art when the game is overloaded with hazards and constantly playing tricks on you.
One thing that is included in the game that attempts to lower the difficulty is Funky Kong's Shop, which sells a number of useful items. I do like this shop and use it often, since it does make some levels less aggravating. However, having to rely on it isn't much fun, and it doesn't make any of the game's worst tricks go away.
To put it simply, DKC:TR is an enjoyable game, but it doesn't have the heart of its predecessor. DKCR was a jolly, artistic romp that only increased in difficulty over time, but DKC:TR is a much less friendly experience. A good game, but not a great one.