LifeisXbox’s Ayo the Clown review | This is the first game from Cloud M1, a developer based in New York City. One that immediate succeeds in conquering gamers’ hearts with lovely characters, surprisingly well-created levels and fun old school platform gameplay. I wasn’t expecting this kind of quality from Ayo the Clown, proving once again to never trust your first impression. Gamers with coulrophobia, everyone knows at least one person who is afraid of clowns, might want to steer away from this game but I’m sure that most of the people will find Ayo adorable. I know I do!
Most Memorable Moment
Incredibly easy to pick a memorable moment here as the farm level is gorgeous and I loved how they used bees, cows and pigs to make the level stand out. I’m sure that everyone who likes to play a platform game will adore this cute level, it only takes around ten minutes but every second is awesome.
ℹ️ Reviewed on Xbox Series X | Review code provided by PR/publisher, this review is the personal opinion of the writer.
What we Liked!
- Cute visuals | There is so much cute about Ayo the Clown, colorful visuals are everywhere to be found. In a particular farm level Ayo will jump on cows hanging on ropes that swing back and forth, and then jump on heads of pigs. Done with so much personality and charming design, Ayo is easily one of the games I will remember in the upcoming months. More importantly, all done with a kid-friendly approach. A great example of creativity and personality is the way the checkpoints work. Poor Ayo keeps getting a whipped cream pie in his face, funny right? But it’s mostly the colorful environments and unexpected objects or animals that come along that really make the game special. With a keen eye for detail and a little humor, because what is a clown game without visual humor!
- Linear gameplay but with limited exploration in mind | In case you haven’t noticed with the screenshots, Ayo the clown is a linear 2D platformer. Still, they managed to give exploration a starring role. I was constantly looking for secret passages, or big jumps to get to the top of something. In these places you will then find coins or teddy bears and lollipops. Each level has six collectibles, most of which you will find fairly quickly but there are some that require a little more searching.
- Unlocking new moves | Ayo is pretty helpless in the beginning. Even jumping isn’t an option at first. Slow but surely side-characters will give you extra move abilities. First one is a shoemaker who will give you the most crucial ability in the platform genre, jumping! Ayo has a few unique abilities like using a balloon to reach higher places, but nothing complicated. A slow way to learn every aspect, we as adults might regret that but for the smaller gamers it is a great learning curve.
Mixed Feelings
- Story | Ayo is awakened in the night because a mysterious person steals his cute puppy. And yes, for those who are curious. Ayo also has his clown face paint on when he sleeps. That aside, finding his best friend again is the main reason for the adventure. An adventure full of pleasant side characters but don’t expect an overly engaging story though. Especially the dialogues and cutscenes do not really add any value to the game.
- Boss fights and some levels don’t fit the younger audience | Sometimes I had to scratch my head, because some levels and especially boss fights are quite tough. I wonder if this is consistent with the target audience. I see novice gamers failing to complete some of the more difficult moments. Fortunately, most have the help of mom or dad but not everyone has that luxury. After an hour, for example, there is a level with all kinds of gravity platforms. Very cool though but difficult because your controls also become different. I think the developer sometimes got a little too enthusiastic with the platform gameplay and forgot which target audience it was aimed at.
What we Disliked
- Nothing worth mentioning | Maybe the difficulty for the younger gamers could be something that parents will dislike but I really loved to play Ayo the Clown. There are so many bad platformers on Xbox but this one is truly something special!
How long to beat the story | Five hours
How long to achieve 1000G | Seven hours
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