Pecker Preview: A Joyful Climbing 3D Platformer

Downloading the demo for Pecker, I had no idea what this game was about. But by the end, I was blown away by how much fun and relaxing it was.

In Pecker, you play as a bird and, with the help of your trusty beak, solve puzzles, climb impossible heights, protect yourself, and break things. As Pecker, you are transported to different worlds with new environments to explore and hurdles to come across. 

The colorful world of Pecker along with its gameplay and traversal reminded me of the Spyro games that I loved being immersed into for hours as a kid. Though this demo was short with only four levels to finish, I was left wanting for more.

Satisfying Climbing Mechanic

Pecker’s gameplay felt very simplistic to follow, especially with the guided tutorials. With Pecker’s sharp, elongated, and bendable beak, the bird is able to climb higher areas and also attack and break boxes easily.

Using its beak to latch on to any wood surface, the player is required to aim Pecker with the left joystick towards the area they want to reach. Once you let go of the joystick, Pecker then catapults to that area. The only trick is to aim right.

It did take me a while to get used to and I did end up falling off ledges and dying multiple times. But once I got the hang of it, the mechanic was easy and gave me a sense of satisfaction.

Other than climbing, Pecker can also use its beak to attack or break things. Breaking boxes and barrels gives you coins with which you can buy things. What things can you buy? I don’t know. I did come across a merchant during my playthrough, but I wasn’t given access to their shop. 

There are many doors and gates to unlock. To do that, Pecker needs to find keys or flip some switches using its beak in order to go forward. Puzzles in Pecker didn’t feel very difficult, and this could be because I was so invested in exploring every area that I came across them naturally. I do hope the full game has more challenging puzzles and maybe some enemies to fight.

Pecker can also be played with a maximum of three friends using the game’s local co-op split screen feature. That sure does sound like a fun time!

A Colorful World

The first thing that caught my attention as I started Pecker was its vibrant world. I could appreciate the stunning visuals of the 3D platformer more by just exploring each and every area within a level.

All the four levels in this demo were completely different, gorgeous, and sometimes medieval. From the very green forest to floating castles to an entire level called “Cardboard Land” filled with just cardboards, Pecker isn’t holding back in terms of offering a variety to its players. I can’t wait to explore more and find out about the other levels. 

A Tasteful Demo

With Pecker’s demo currently available on Steam for all players to try, the game offers a relatively short but just enough experience for gamers who are indecisive to buy the game when it fully launches.

Unfortunately, the game’s release date is not confirmed yet. But as someone who unexpectedly enjoyed this demo, I hope the developers take their time because Pecker feels like it could win a lot of hearts.