Slow Down, Bull Review (PC)

Insomniac Studios has entertained a huge amount of fans throughout the years thanks to PlayStation-exclusive franchises like Ratchet & Clank or Resistance, while also bringing the recent Sunset Overdrive to Xbox One.

Now, its first PC game is available, in the form of the intriguing Slow Down, Bull, a 2D casual experience that focuses on a bull with artistic and impulsive sides. While the general theme may sound outlandish, it's actually part of a partnership between Insomniac and charity Starlight Children's Foundation, as the studio donates half of its profits directly to the non-profit organization.

While the game is certainly a noble endeavor, does it actually manage to deliver a fun experience or should the bull abandon its artistic pursuits? Let's find out.

Story

Slow Down, Bull focuses on a bull called Esteban. While he's certainly as impulsive as you can imagine a bull might be, he also has a passion for art, as he wants to craft different works to entertain others. However, besides his impulsive nature, he also has a drive for perfectionism, so if he doesn't create the best project, he destroys everything.

Fortunately for Esteban and the players, he has a "sister" in the form of a smart cat, not to mention friends like a possum or enemies that want to capture the bull and stop his artistic endeavors.

The plot is certainly unique in terms of premise, and the delivery makes it quite impressive, especially for younger players or those in hospitals that are helped by the Starlight Children's Foundation.

Avoid obstacles in Slow Down, Bull

Gameplay

The actual gameplay in Slow Down, Bull focuses on guiding the path of Esteban throughout various levels in order to maximize the amount of art supplies he collects. Seeing as how he's a true bull, you can't really stop his run, but you can turn him left or right to various degrees, in order to ensure that he collects as many supplies as possible while avoiding enemies.

However, with each turn, Esteban gets more and more stressed out. This is indicated by his character model getting redder and redder, but if you abstain from changing his direction for a little while, he manages to get rid of that stress. Alternatively, you can also run over pools of water to slow him down and make him not lose his cool.

The main mechanic is interesting although it takes some time to get used to. Unfortunately, as you progress through the many stages, environments become tougher and tougher to navigate, so Esteban won't be the only one getting stressed out.

Each stage is filled with different art supplies, from buttons to google eyes, four-leaf clovers, and other such things. Most of them are split into different zones, each ending with a collection point. The more supplies you get, the higher the score and the more hoof prints (aka stars) you get at the end of the level. Depending on the number of prints you get, you unlock new worlds that have different themes, such as the seaside.

Slow Down, Bull is certainly a charming game, but Insomniac has added quite a few elements to pose bigger or smaller challenges. First up, every level has a time limit, and unless you spot special clock pickups that extend it, you can end up losing the supplies you've earned.

There are also plenty of different obstacles scattered through the levels, like walking enemies that, when hit, make Esteban lose all his supplies. You have a short time to pick them back up, but making too many turns in quick succession leads to plenty of anger, both for Esteban and the player.

Some enemies can be passed by charging up a dash, but others are impassable, such as those that carry windows. At first, their layout isn't that hard to avoid, but as you progress through the five different worlds, things get trickier and trickier.

What's more, in some stages, you're followed by a bull tamer that shaves off more time from the clock if she catches you. As such, things get even more stressful for Esteban and the player.

Most stages just see Esteban move through linear levels, but at the end of each world, you're thrown into an arena and tasked with gathering as many supplies as possible in a short amount of time. You can boost the number of things you get by interacting with helpful allies, like a possum that covers Esteban's face and leads to erratic turns, but also by smashing into walls and trees, which drop more supplies, and starts that act as multipliers.

Smash into walls in Slow Down, Bull

Visuals and Sound

Slow Down, Bull boasts an absolutely gorgeous visual style reminiscent of children drawings. Every character oozes style and the animations are pretty good. The environments boast great themes and design cues, making things a bit less frustrating, at least for players.

The soundtrack is also playful and captivating, albeit a bit repetitive when engaging in longer play sessions. No voice acting, however, so don't expect Esteban or the other characters to talk.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion