Dinopunk: The Cacops Adventure Hands-On Preview – A Promising Retro Platformer

Dinopunk: The Cacops Adventure is an intriguing side-scrolling retro platformer announced last October. Developed by The Dude Games and published by Dojo System, this upcoming 2D adventure releases on PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 late this year.

I spent hands-on time with a demo for the game ahead of Steam Next Fest. Here are more thoughts on my experience and what you can expect if you download the demo next month.

Dinopunk: The Cacops Adventure takes place in a dystopian world ruled by dinosaurs and revolves around a small amphibious dinosaur named Cacops. After an egg is stolen from his home, Capcos must embark on a life-altering journey across a world filled with puzzles, obstacles, and challenging foes. In addition to jumping and using his surfboard to traverse certain areas, Cacops can also control water and use it to heal himself and attack enemies.

The demo included two main stages, one surfing mini-game stage, and a boss battle encounter to round out the entire experience. The two key level stages involved Cacops traversing through beach and city environments with various enemies to fight against. As the screenshot below illustrates, you have a water bottle icon, heart icons (representing your health), and coins that can be collected to purchase items at a shop.

Capcos uses his water control abilities to create waterballs that can be thrown at enemies and objects. Once the water bottle is fully depleted, he can jump into a nearby pond or break a fire hydrant to attain more water. You can collect coins after defeating enemies and destroying objects, like barrels and boxes.

The surfing mini-game stage is a timed challenge where you jump in the air to earn style points while avoiding an incoming wave. There are collectible beach balls and various boxes/barrels that serve as obstacles for you to navigate around while surfing. You have to reach a certain number of points to complete this stage.

Lastly, there was an interesting and straightforward boss battle encounter, which is pictured below. He throws knives and barrels at you that must be avoided. He also barks out objects that can be destroyed to obtain more water. The overall strategy is to study his attack pattern while hurling waterballs at him. This brief but fun boss battle made me curious to see how other boss battles are designed as you get deeper into the game.

After completing the demo, I walked away interested in seeing more. Between the beautiful 2D retro graphics and simple gameplay mechanics, Dinopunk has a familiar feeling and is exactly the type of game I would have played as a kid. The platforming reminds me of an early Mario Bros. game, and the worlds are reminiscent of worlds I have seen in other video games from the past.

This same rule applies to the soundtrack in the game, as the music and sound effects also pay homage to this past era of video games. There are playful references to the ’80s and ’90s for you to pick up on. Overall, the demo was a pleasant surprise and will resonate with those who love retro platformers.

Verdict So Far

I enjoyed my time with Dinopunk: The Cacops Adventure, and I look forward to spending more time with the game when it launches later this year. You can download the demo during Steam Next Fest next month. For more details on the game and the upcoming demo, visit this Steam page.