Umihara Kawase is back! Both the physics-heavy, weird platformer series and its heroine are here again. Umihara Kawase Fresh! is heading to the Nintendo Switch worldwide, and things seem a little different this time around. Before, an installment would plop people into a strange, disjointed world, one where giant fish and frogs are ready to crush characters. All they would get is a fishing pole that functions as a grappling hook and means of pulling enemies into a surprisingly deep backpack. But with this new installment, players could be looking at one of the most enlightening and inviting entries in the Umihara Kawase series.
Publisher Nicalis has announced that the fourth game in the Umihara Kawase series Umihara Kawase Fresh! will release both physically and digitally for PlayStation 4 in the West on October 30, 2020. Pre-orders for a limited physical version are now available at the Nicalis Store for $39.99.
All in all, Umihara Kawase Fresh! is presented smartly, if quite bizarrely. Its movement system is fiendish, sometimes frustrating, sometimes free-flowing. Unfortunately, it asks a lot of the player and manages to hide its best bits. The level and boss design are unlikely to inspire anyone, especially when already taken to wit’s end by the stuttering difficulty, but that’s not enough to undo the game’s unique charm. If you’re already an Umihara fan then Umihara Kawase Fresh! will give you your fix like nothing else. For anyone else, it’s harder to love – but not impossible.
Daily Video Game writes: "Umihara Kawase Fresh! is currently on sale for Nintendo Switch at Amazon. If you’re interested in this action-adventure platform game, you will be able to save $15 off on this game for your Nintendo Switch right now."
