Review: I And Me (Switch)

The Nintendo Switch library may not be as huge as competing consoles just yet, but what’s there is a quality string of diverse titles from all sorts of first-party, third-party, and indie efforts. It’s already taken over the playtime I could have given my PS Vita as a result, and it doesn’t appear to be stopping this string anytime soon. The latest game to add variety to the eShop catalog is I And Me, a puzzle-platformer where the player controls two characters simultaneously.

Story

I And Me tells the story of a cat who discovers its double. The narrative focuses on the cat’s inner conflict with loneliness and how this duplicate of itself manipulates this conflict for better or for worse. Bits of the story unfold as the player progresses through the game’s levels, kind of like Thomas Was Alone in a sense. I And Me doesn’t have Thomas beat in that regard, but the game’s narrative isn’t too shabby in its own right.

Graphics

Visually, I And Me is fairly pleasant. The game runs at a very smooth framerate, and the environments have a lush feel to them. It all feels very peaceful and serene, especially when animated background features such as rain are added to the mix. If anything, I feel like the animals in the game could look a little less stiff.

Audio

There are a few sound effects in the game, but they aren’t nearly as noteworthy as the piano compositions thoroughly featured throughout. I don’t think there could have been a more appropriate score for I And Me. It really drives home that peaceful nature I mentioned.

Gameplay

As previously brought up, two cats are controlled at the same time. I always like a good puzzler that uses this mechanic, and I And Me is no exception. The levels all take a good advantage of the concept, and some can add more features on top of it to shake things up. For example, there’s a magic wand that, when touched, makes the cat move the opposite directions from the other cat. The puzzles are far from the hardest to solve, but there is a moderate challenge that builds up as the game progresses.

That’s not to say there aren’t flaws, though. While there is a great load of levels to play in I And Me, things are bound to feel same-y during a lengthy play session. There may be features that change things up, but they aren’t that plentiful. I’m also not really a fan of the hint system, which displays video footage of the level being played through before stopping at a point; by that point, I would already get the gist of how to play it out. Yes, I know it’s optional, but I wish the hints were less explicit so players could still feel rewarded for figuring things out on their own.

Verdict

All things considered, I And Me is somewhat like hot chocolate on a cold day. It’s a soothing experience with cute animal characters and heartwarming piano pieces. The puzzle-platforming is enjoyable and has that fun two-characters hook to it. I just think some ironing out could benefit the entire package in the long run. If you’re interested in the concept or puzzle mechanics, you will indeed like playing through this one.

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