Game: Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump + Dimensions
Genre: Adventure, Strategy, Puzzle, Action, RPG
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer | Publisher: Momo-pi Game Studio | Shueisha Games, Hitotsubashi Group
Age Rating: US E10+ | EU 7
Price: US $24.99 | UK £18.89 | € 20,99
Release Date: July 28th, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to Shueisha Games.
Dealing with change is something that we all have to do at some point in life, but many of us struggle with it. Of course, not every change is the same and not every person deals the same way with newfound feelings or thoughts when these situations occur. One of the biggest changes one can have is moving to another place, especially if you are a little kid who is still figuring things out.
Captain Velvet Meteor: the Jump + Dimensions is a turn-based strategy game with bits of stealth elements, puzzle solving and a meaningful narrative that leaves a lesson at every level. This game is the story of a young kid named Damien, who moves to a completely different place from what he was used to. Because of his family roots, they move from Lyon, France to Kyoto, Japan, but for Damien, this brings many changes he has to deal with on his way.
Exploration Log #1: Arrival to an Unknown Planet
“Goodbye my friends, my school and my favorite places…” Moving can be one of the biggest challenges a kid can have, yet even if handled properly, it doesn’t mean it will be a smooth transition. The kids’ conception of their surroundings suddenly changing drastically is not something that can happen from one day to the other, it needs time, support and in the case of Damien, a very adventurous and creative imagination.
As they arrive at their destination, Damien’s family stays in a house next to their grandmother’s apartment. During one day (in real life these changes could take way more than that) Damien faces many changes and with each one, he learns how to adapt and bring out the best of them. With his parents out of the house for the day, he is left with a list of chores and tasks to do. That’s when things start to get interesting.
Exploration Log #2: Enters Captain Velvet Meteor and Jay-P
When dealing with these lonely, scary, or sometimes anxious emotions, Damien calls upon his imagination together with his loyal partner, a robot called Jay-P. Together in their spaceship, the Velvet Wonder, they explore the new planet they found after crashing with no energy to return home. From an unknown breakfast with a new taste that he is not used to, to an encounter with an old lady while picking up the mail, Damien brings out Captain Velvet Meteor on a mission for to deal with each situation.
Exploration Log #3: Move, Collect, Attack and Explore
So let’s get to the gameplay of Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions. The game is divided into two segments: The first one, you are young Damien, walking around your new house, exploring the hallways and rooms and doing your chores. In the second one, after encountering a disconcerting situation, you play as Captain Velvet Meteor, Damien’s alter ego and try to decipher the unknown planet you encounter yourself.
When you play as Damien, you can walk more freely inside the house, interacting with your surroundings to know your thoughts about it or find hidden collectables. But when Captain Velvet Meteor is needed, the scenario changes completely. You play in a grid scenario with limited steps to move, specific patterns to use your attacks and hidden collectibles to find in each area. By moving, killing monsters and solving puzzles, eventually, you arrive at the boss of the level, which represents the current challenge Damien is overcoming. You can also do different types of combo attacks with each different character.
Exploration Log #4: New Friends, New Crew
Each level introduces a new character that helps Damien to get through his enemies, deal with the boss of the area and collect the energy crystals he needs for his spaceship to travel back home. As much as these personalities learn from the captain, he learns as well from them. I honestly love how they approach some simple and trivial situations Damien faces on his whole voyage. The narrative and scripts are so amazingly matching and entertaining you won’t get bored, even with bulks of text.
Each character tells their story to the captain and after helping him, they stay in the Velvet Wonder supporting him. The relationships made in this endeavour are beautiful and even funny. I enjoy a lot of games that get me to have an uncontrolled giggle with just a piece of text and this game does that more than once.
Exploration Log #5: We Have Audio and Visuals Captain!
Captain Velvet Meteor: the Jump + Dimensions has many aspects very well made, with entertaining gameplay and a narrative that hooks you almost immediately. But oh my, the music was something from another planet! (Pun intended) Every time I turned on the game, that little prelude of its main theme made me excited to start playing. Not only that, but when I put the game down for a while, the music I was listening in the game, catchy as it was, stayed in my mind playing.
Besides the sound, the visuals are appealing, especially for all Shonen enthusiasts like myself. More than the general artwork on each screen, the relatable manga characters and the innovative UI called my attention. I felt as immersed as you could get in these types of games. I believe it is deserving of praising the creativity of the artists behind this game. It is just not seen everywhere and they made it brilliantly.
Last Exploration Log #6: Conclusion – Mission Accomplished!
Damien (Captain Velvet Meteor) is a very likeable protagonist. Even though most games like this one can turn out to be simplistic with their mechanics, Captain Velvet Meteor: the Jump + Dimensions delivers its tactical strategy gameplay smoothly and engagingly. This game “fun” comes from many aspects, but I would like to remark on its narrative and how the whole concept is built.
Moving to another country, that has such a different culture, food and even time zone, is something tough and more for a kid. This game makes an adventure in every situation Damien had to adjust to his new life abroad. It also leaves an important mark with each level that is as enjoyable for an adult as for a kid that is going through something similar. I highly recommend you play this game, especially for strategy and tactic lovers and even more for people who are moving or moved to a different country and struggled to adjust.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up. 
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