– Advertisement –
Care Bears: To The Rescue is a great family-friendly title. If you adore the colourful and heartfelt franchise, this will be right up your street. However, you’ll want to give this a wide berth if you have no children and despise the fluffy bears. As I have 3 young girls, I sit in camp number 1. Accordingly, there were squeals of delight as my children controlled their favourite characters.
This action platform game was developed by Polygoat and published by Forever Entertainment. Moreover, it is a single-player or up to 4 player experience. It utilises basic stage design and the mechanics are child-friendly. Consequently, adults will fly through every level. Yet, we must remember that this is aimed at a young audience and children from 6 to 10 will adore every moment.
Care Bears: To The Rescue has a wholesome story.
80s cartoons were renowned for their wholesome plots. The hints at moral code and the obvious good vs evil were fantastic. However, the shallow writing and in-your-face approach will not win any awards for subtlety. This didn’t bother my girls too much as the easy-to-follow plot got a thumbs up from them.
The Care Bears notice something wrong with the Silver Lining. This once mellow place is emitting bad energy. Unfortunately, Bluster has created a bad seed and it is spreading negativity across the world. Luckily, though, the heroes step up in time to save the day.
Simple mechanics.
This won’t wow you with complexity. Instead, the simple mechanics allow each player to navigate the world with ease. Jumping, running, and crossing chasms are par for the course. As the game evolves, you will face new challenges, but none of them are too testing. Additionally, there are enemies to overcome, but they can be thwarted with your Belly Badge Power.
Each of the Care Bears has their own special skill. This sounds interesting, but it rarely makes a difference. This was a shame but I liked the straightforward approach. Furthermore, though I enjoy helping my kids to game, it is much more relaxing when they don’t ask for my help every 2 seconds.
The gameplay throws in the odd curveball with some unique stages. Moreover, there is a mini-game in each of the core worlds. These weren’t overly testing, but they broke up the repetitive gameplay and helped to keep things fresh.
Care Bears: To The Rescue is vibrant but dated.
The side-scrolling movement and simple animation have a dated feel. Moreover, the basic assets and rudimentary level design won’t compete with bigger-budget games. However, Care Bears: To The Rescue is still pleasant to look at. The animation is smooth and I like the lack of glitches and bugs. Additionally, the vibrant colour palette matched the vivid nature of the franchise.
The audio was as loud and heartwarming as expected. The music has an upbeat tone and the sound effects are simple but effective. Unfortunately, the dialogue is accompanied by a tedious tapping sound and this drove me bonkers.
Excellent controls.
Moving left and right while exploring the odd secret area won’t test you or your children. However, the tight and easy-to-understand controls were very welcome. Alongside this, new elements were well explained and some minor trial and error removed any sense of doubt or failure.
I’m rarely invested in a child-friendly title, but this was different. Care Bears: To The Rescue has a fun collectable sticker system that kept me interested. Every stage has 3 stickers to collect and some of the hiding places were fantastic. Moreover, there are stars to find but I couldn’t work out their purpose. Subsequently, despite the star issue, this has some replay value and longevity.
Care Bears: To The Rescue is great for its intended audience.
Older gamers will scowl at this title. The idea of basic 90s-inspired gameplay will be off-putting. However, this is for children and my review reflects this approach. The gameplay mechanics are refined but ideal for younger players. Moreover, the stage design has enough variety to keep you interested. Accordingly, it is great for its intended audience and I recommend buying it here! Can you prevent the darkness from taking hold? Choose your Care Bear, explore the world, and save the day.
