Direction Quad Review – PS5's Delightfully Tricky Frog Puzzle-Platformer

Eastasiasoft, in collaboration with developer No Checkpoint, brings Direction Quad to the PS5 as a fresh port of their inventive indie title. This compact 2D top-down adventure casts players as a plucky young frog named Quad, leaping through treacherous swamp mazes on lily pads and precarious platforms, all while gathering shiny coins and scurrying bugs amid a prophecy-tinged storyline involving a wise toad's trials.  

Gameplay revolves around precise, momentum-driven diagonal hops. Quad can only move at 45-degree angles, turning navigation into a rhythmic dance of bounces and trajectories across intricate, trap-filled stages. The core puzzle mechanics include bumpers that send you ricocheting at sharp angles for clever shortcuts, switches that unlock gated paths or shift barriers, and mazelike layouts that demand plotting multi-hop paths to dodge spikes, enemies, and deadly terrain.

Levels ramp up from straightforward lily-pad jaunts to brain-teasing labyrinths requiring pixel-perfect timing and foresight, with instant retries encouraging experimentation without frustration. The main objective per stage is to guide Quad from the starting pad to the glowing finish line, ideally scooping up every collectible for that satisfying stage clearing.  

The Presentation ...

Graphically, Direction Quad embraces nostalgic top-down pixel art, with vibrant swamp greens, glowing fireflies, and animated hazards that pop crisply on the PS5's display, evoking classic era charm. The soundtrack, a mellow mix of chiptune twangs and ambient swamp croaks, loops subtly to heighten tension during tense sequences without overpowering the action.  

The Verdict ...

Direction Quad nails old-school challenge with its demanding precision platforming-puzzle hybrid gameplay, where one mistimed hop spells doom, but generous retries keep it fair and skill-focused. Replay value soars through collectible hunts, alternate paths unlocked via switches, and a gauntlet of escalating stages begging for speedrun mastery or 100% completion. 

It is an experience best suited for puzzle aficionados and retro fans craving bite-sized, thinky sessions, especially gamers like those who dig Celeste's platforming rigor or The Witness's spatial riddles, but newcomers to tight controls might need patience to groove with the diagonal-only movement.