Pupperazzi is a relaxing game for all ages, guaranteed to provide a heckin’ good time
As much as I love my fast-paced, first-person shooter titles, I do find myself craving a game or two that I can sit back and relax with. Whether you’re a new or experienced gamer, and you’re looking for a new title to unwind with, and you love puppies, you should look no further and get your hands on Pupperazzi.
Pupperazzi, developed by Sundae Month and published by KitFox Games, inspires you to live out your dreams to become the next big social media icon by travelling to different areas to take photos of various puppers and doggos (I’m sorry – I had to use the terms just once!). Complete objectives to increase your social media following and be rewarded with ‘bonks’; currency you can use to purchase different types of film and lenses to enhance your photography skills, and become the ultimate pup-tographer (that’s the last of the puppy puns, I promise).
The game is played in first-person with the ability to run, crouch and double jump to get that perfect angle. You can select locations from a map that will gradually open up to allow you to explore more over the course of the game, and you will also be able to unlock new times to revisit old areas.
Your starting location on the beach gives you a basic rundown of how to use your camera and your first round of objectives. At the beginning of the game, you have a very limited number of shots you can take. If you run out of film you’ll have to delete one of your masterpieces, but don’t worry – if you save any of your photos to your ‘favourites’, you can always go back and visit them later in the game. Your ‘home’ location on the map you refer to lets you browse your gallery of favourite pics and access the ‘Puppypedia’ – there are over 50 unique shots for you to add to the Puppypedia that you can find throughout the game which require you to photograph anything from finding a particular breed to snapping a pic of a pup wearing a top hat or bowtie.
When it came to taking my very first photo, it was initially a little bit tricky to control the positioning of the camera but thankfully you have the ability to adjust the sensitivity in the settings. The concept of dog photography seems simple, but what really made me enjoy it was just how chaotic it could be. I can be trying to take the perfect shot but the puppy isn’t staying still or its getting extremely close to the camera, which I found myself laughing at particularly because some of them have some really funny expressions. I will admit I did have a good time just running around with the puppies and finding toys for them to play with before I got into taking photos, and I’m sure little gamers will also enjoy doing that too.
One thing that I did really love when it came to adjusting the gameplay settings was the ability to turn on ‘simplified controls’ which disables player movement when taking photos, and limits vertical aiming when walking around. Another option in the settings that really stood out to me was being able to turn off moving cars, which the game recommends for players who may find dogs playing near moving cars scary or triggering. While these settings may seem small, I really admire the thought and care that Sundae Month have put into making Pupperazzi more accessible for more players.
The first few objectives in the game were simple to complete, requiring you to take a close-up or portrait shot. Over the course of the game, the tasks start to become more specific and take more time to complete. For example, there was a random objective to ‘take a photo of a hot dog in a cave pond’. I then had to find a hot dog somewhere and transport it to the appropriate spot. I described Pupperazzi to a friend like a ‘Where’s Wally’ because there are so many different areas to investigate to find what you need. The running and double jump mechanics work well to alleviate the searching process, and the movement is great for reaching hidden tasks that can be found in hard-to-get places.
Pupperazzi has a cute art-style that is hard not to love, despite the basic graphics of the game. I was initially skeptical about the variety and size of the level designs later in the game. However, I was really impressed in how much more there was to explore. While the animation in the game is very limited, there’s still something endearing about seeing dogs ‘bounce’ across the areas. Some animations like dogs dancing and performing tricks were so crude its funny, and it honestly adds to the light silliness of the game. Each location has its own relaxing score that varies over times of the day, so it’s easy to get lost in this world overrun by the sounds of the many puppies around you.
While Pupperazzi isn’t visually extraordinary, its cute art-style and simple mechanics still makes it an enjoyable, relaxing game to entertain gamers of all ages. Oh, and did I forget to mention you can pet all the dogs? Pupperazzi is a relaxing game for all ages, guaranteed to provide a heckin’ good time.
Pupperazzi is now available on Xbox, Game Pass and Steam.
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