Pack Master Review (Nintendo Switch)

Review code used, with many thanks to Forever Entertainment!

Gameplay

*The controls are simple, but the touchscreen is even more so!*

Pack Master is one of those games that’s easy to learn but hard to master; you’re presented with a suitcase, sometimes two, and an assortment of items that need to be packed within 3 minutes. Nothing can be rotated, overlapping, or sticking out of the side of the case – simple rules, but sometimes hard to follow when confronted with the awkwardly shaped and stage-themed objects. Think katana and shuriken in Japan, crowns and cups of tea in England – every regional stereotype you can think of, it’s in there somewhere!

The controls are as simple as the concept; the left control stick moves the hand, and A picks up or puts down. The touchscreen controls are a very natural-feeling inclusion, and much appreciated – it’s a simple case of click and drag to place the objects. The touchscreen definitely felt much nicer than joy-cons, and quickly became my preferred way to play.

Graphics and Sound

I’m a sucker for a cute and vivid aesthetic, and Pack Master is no exception. Everything is bright and bouncing, with nice solid outlines and wonderfully childish colours that leap off the screen in this family-friendly puzzle game. Adorably designed suitcases, while often repeated, made me smile when they popped on screen – my personal favourite was the bear!

Even the soundtrack was upbeat, light-hearted, and wouldn’t have been out of place in a nursery or pre-school classroom. I can’t decide if the game was specifically designed for children, but it does an excellent job of targeting that specific audience.

Difficulty

While the idea is very simple, the game itself is anything but. Some levels are nice and easy, others are considerably more difficult, and the difficulty progression doesn’t seem to be linear. I’ll barely pass a level, then the following few will be a piece of cake – it keeps me on my toes! I wouldn’t call Pack Master a child-friendly game from a difficulty perspective, but I’m sure it’d help develop logical thinking abilities in older children.

Conclusion

Pack Master is a very basic puzzle game that doesn’t try to push harder than it should. There’s an excellent balance between design and difficulty, and something wonderfully relaxing about the simple nature of the game. There’s not much to say about it due to its simplicity, but I’d definitely put it on the recommended list for a younger audience!

Final Verdict: I Like It

Gameplay

Graphics and Sound

Difficulty

Conclusion

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