Organic Panic

After ma and pa had hopelessly failed for years to try and force us to eat fruits and vegetables, who knew that all that it would take was a simple puzzle-platformer. Pitched as {Worms} meets {Little Big Planet}, the game shattered its Kickstarter target back in 2013, feeding gamers' cravings for a food-based platformer.

An organic rebellion has begun, with the organics emerging from the shadows and lashing out at the meats and cheeses that once oppressed them. You take control of four heroes - a kiwi, a coconut, a carrot and a cherry - and battle your way through a series of stages to amass a skilled army and take down the opposing food groups. This wacky narrative is presented in comic strip form similar to {Angry Birds}, and can be cycled through or skipped at the start of each main stage.

From a coconut who is able to move objects with his mind, to a carrot who is able to climb walls and breathe fire, each character handles differently and possess its own unique set of abilities. Further into the story you're able to alternate between a number of these characters, which offers you a variety of solutions to platforming and combat. With each of their personalities fleshed out within the game's pun-heavy narrative, you'll find yourself growing oddly attached to each of the characters and rooting for their survival.

Core gameplay is simple, as you'll slaughter your way through waves of enemies and run, jump and dash to reach each level's hidden portal. Upon completion, you'll be rewarded for your heroics with either a bronze, silver or gold star, as well as receiving a total score. To get the gold you must complete all three objectives, which involves reaching the portal, killing all enemies and grabbing the level's often awkwardly placed purple crystal. If you find yourself stuck there's also the handy option of skipping up to five levels of your choosing. Simply complete one of the levels you previously passed up on and you'll then regain one of your skips.

Essentially gameplay is pretty repetitive and you'll find yourself working to achieve the exact same goals across each level. {Organic Panic} does throw a few things in along the way to mix things up, as in some levels you'll be responsible for guiding two characters to the goal opposed to just one. Traps and enemies also work to keep levels feeling fresh, as they become steadily more challenging as the story progresses. Controls for the most part feel tight and responsive, that being said, we did occasionally find ourselves unfairly caught on parts of the scenery with no other option but to hit restart.

The story mode is divided into 13 stages which are each characterised by their own motif. From scorching hot pits of lava to sandy beach shores, the majority of these worlds feel uninspired and it's almost as if the developers were simply working from a checklist of environments to include in the game. It would have been great if these stages were more unique to the game's narrative rather than simply including settings we've all experienced before in a platformer. {Organic Panic} also boasts an impressive 200 levels across its story mode, bonus mode and co-op modes, ensuring plenty of hours of chaotic food fights.

Visually the game feels vibrant and alive as its backdrops are decorated with swaying trees, gushing lava and soaring clouds. The cartoony visuals may not be the most impressive from a technical standpoint, but they ooze plenty of charm and lend themselves well to the game's absurd narrative. {Organic Panic}'s soundtrack does admittedly feel pretty weak and forgettable, consisting of a limited number of stand-out tracks and a series of repetitive loops. With a full blown war of the food groups unfolding on our screens it would have been great if there was a soundtrack included that was capable of mirroring the intensity.

If it's a quirky story-driven platformer that you're seeking then {Organic Panic} is well worth your time. It may not be a perfect game, as its levels often feel repetitive and lack originality stylistically, but it's one that will likely leave you in stitches due to its absurd action and outrageous humour. With over 200 levels to choose from and the option to get your friends involved in co-op, your fun with {Organic Panic} is unlikely to end soon.