PAX EAST 2023 | "Shumi Come Home"
Some 3D platformers want to deliver an exciting experience for its players. Shumi Come Home, the debut game from SomeHumbleOnion, wants to be different, instead offering a more relaxing adventure. At the Mooneye Studios booth at PAX East, I was given the chance to play part of Shumi Come Home’s first level. If the rest of the game is like what I had seen, then I can expect it be quite the cozy ride!
In the demo, Shumi needs to get to a closed-off area, blocked off by a hungry reptile. Thankfully, it’s in the mood for blueberries, not mushrooms. A nearby character has the blueberry you’re seeking, but it requires some green crystals in order to obtain it. To earn them, Shumi’s got some quests to undertake.
These quests have a more laidback vibe to them, as you mine for crystals both green and silver to obtain certain objects. There are also characters in need of items scattered throughout the levels, including a snail wanting to write and a coin-loving bro who needs more shinies. Reaching these items takes some trial and error, with your skills to glide key to getting to them. But even if you don’t get them on the first or tenth try, there’ll be no sign of frustration to be found.
The tone of Shumi Come Home is one of pure relaxation. Like some of the best iyashikei anime, the actions on display here are more of a soul-soothing sigh than one that makes the heart pound. From its charming visuals to the simplistic soundtrack, what’s on display in SomeHumbleOnion’s debut is quite uncommon in the 3D platforming world. As such, it’s a welcoming breath of fresh air, one that feels good to play from start-to-finish.
With its humorous dialogue and simple mechanics, Shumi Come Home is looking to be a good change of pace for a genre that tries hard to be exciting. This wants to be more relaxed with its attitude and style, the kind of game that you’d put on during a calm rainy day when you’re not in the mood to do too much. Video games are meant to be an escape from the mundane, but Shumi Come Home takes that mundane and turns it into something charming and pure. And I, for one, look forward to seeing where Shumi goes to get back to his abode.
Shumi Come Home arrives this summer. I suggest bringing it outdoors at night, as it’d really set the mood.
