Snake Pass is a modern attempt to rekindle 3D platforming fun in an intelligent way. Instead of falling back on all the old tropes (and problems), players are presented with a protagonist which totally changes up the nature of platforming. Each stage only requires three objects to collect, meaning folks need not dread yet another collectathon. On the other hand, those who look to 100% complete games can enjoy reaching out for the tougher coins. There’s something left to be desired with the general lack of storyline, but fortunately the gameplay is excellent enough to make up for it. Even after finishing the game you’ll likely want to go back and perfect your performances because the gameplay is just that refreshing.

Snake Pass is a charming and distinctly different game, which mostly works in its favor. You won't find the platformer-without-jumping mechanics in any other game on the market. The downside is that the gameplay mechanic can quickly go from fun to frustrating. It's a game with a ton of personality, and those with the patience to work around its flaws will find a lot to like.

Snake Pass is a difficult game to wholeheartedly recommend. It’s simply going to be too frustrating for some, all boiling down to a finger knotting control scheme. Forge ahead with it and you will be rewarded however. Snake Pass is an unashamed blast from the past that also strives to innovate on tried and trusted concepts. Its core concept is fundamentally flawed, stripping the player of control rather than empowering, but Sumo has found a way to use this to its strength.

Slithering up simple structures in Snake Pass is one of the most mechanically satisfying video game ideas I’ve ever experience, and it effectively creates a sensation that feels the way maneuvering like a snake might. The camera and checkpoint systems aren’t great, but the concept still managed to hook me for the five hours it took wrap up the campaign. And in the end, I wanted to go back and replay stages to round up all the collectibles I missed.

At times, then, Snake Pass can be a wonderfully relaxing journey through some beautiful habitats. The late game switches into an engaging and challenging puzzler, requiring some deft flicks of the left stick, but one that can feel immensely gratifying when you elegantly slalom your way over a narrow assault course that's suspended over lava. It's the middle third, when the game expects too much of you far too soon, that causes the momentum to stutter. Nevertheless, Snake Pass is a quirky puzzler that innovates while simultaneously evoking memories of your favourite platformers of yesteryear--just don't expect to grow into your new skin overnight.

It’s an enjoyable game that will win the hearts of children, but it’s far from breathtaking – it’s short and lacks a spark (e.g. a protagonist that is not only cute but also charismatic) that would make it memorable. [06/2017, p.66]

Simple, but fun gameplay mechanics, appealing graphics, realistic physics make Snake Pass an enjoyable experimental 3D platformer. It needs a little bit more work to become a game, though.

“Think like a snake” – that’s the motto of this game. No, that doesn’t mean you should hide in the sand behind some rock and wait for an opportune moment to snack on eggs of our calibri pal. Instead, you need to guess how many times you need to wrap yourself around some beam to avoid slipping into the abyss. [Issue#219, p.86]

The controls are intriguing enough to hook a player in and it’s quite fun to embrace the elementary mastery of them once they’ve become second nature and platforming through formidable-looking obstacle courses is a breeze. Plus, relaxedly exploring the 15 stages for collectibles (20 wisps and 5 coins per level) is made more enjoyable by the charming, bright design and chilled out tunes that accompany it, which is all it really aims to be – a laid back game that shows off a new angle for a bit of fun. No real replayability after the few collectibles or big skill wall to overcome, or even any kind of lesson to learn, but instead to almost act as a kind of sandbox for a new type of control system and whilst it could have been built on, it does do what is set out to do, just a bit lazily.