Poncho Preview – Fez Meets Braid

Set in a dystopian future, Poncho tells the story of the titular robot Poncho. What was once a vibrant technological metropolis has now sunk into complete and utter disarray, with robots banding together to figure out the fate of mankind. What follows is a surprisingly deeply-written platformer that details Poncho and his search for his maker.

To do this, Poncho must navigate his 2D world with some adept platforming talents. Keys and backtracking are necessary, as are precisely timed jumps. However, Poncho has got a unique trick up his sleeve – he can jump between plains at the push of a button. Much like the world bending mechanic found in Fez, this ability allows Poncho to access normally unreachable areas and navigate the environment. In the four levels we played, this mechanic was used to time platform jumps, get to a higher plain, and just get a better view of things. It leads to a more cerebral form of play, one that encourages exploration and mastery of the environment.

What other tricks does Poncho have up his sleeve? All will be revealed when Poncho launches for Steam, the PlayStation 4, the Wii U, and the PlayStation Vita in September.