Mr. Sun's Hatbox Review (PC)

I’ve tranquilized and knocked out two levels filled with enemies to get to the Hat of Discovery, not without getting shot by a machinegun-wielding enemy once (I managed to find extra health soon after). And now I’m unable to pick that important quest item up and take it out of the level.

See, I’ve used all my special balloons to secure weapons and other cool hats along the way. The game failed to place a special chest in this final area, giving me access to one more balloon. This wouldn’t normally be an issue. After all my own chosen operative can wear a hat, so let’s just pop the Discovery on its head and just waltz out of the mission. This is where a character’s personality gets in the way.

“Hair Gel” Valenzuela, as his name makes clear, has a problem with his hairdo, resulting in a quirk called Bad Hair Day. That means he is unwilling to change hats, even if that means there’s no way for him to complete a fairly complex mission. So I pick up a box and throw it right up, making sure it hits Valenzuela on the head. He’s knocked out but in no danger, as there are no more enemies around. And his current hat has just fallen off his head, which means he can pick up the Hat of Discovery and actually fulfill his mission.

Mr. Sun's Hatbox is developed by Kenny Sun and published by Raw Fury. I played on the PC using Steam and the game is also offered on the Nintendo Switch. The title combines hats, combat, platforming, and rogue-lite elements in a neat package.

+4more

The story starts off with the titular Mister Sun, whose hatbox is stolen by the dastardly Mister Moon and his henchmen. Players become the owners of the company that offered insurance for that delivery. With their good name at stake, the only option is to put together a crack team of operatives, build a secret base, and launch missions to retrieve information that will lead to the stolen property.

The overreaction in the premise sets the tone for the writing. There’s humor here and a gentle parody of a ton of action-game tropes. Operatives on both sides have a wide range of character quirks, gaining or losing as they increase in level, and the Bad Hair Day mentioned above is not even one of the funnier ones.

The best thing is that all this flavor translates seamlessly into gameplay. The main idea is simple: explore a location, achieve an objective, and get out alive. Our little characters kill with their bare hands, use weapons, throw objects, use hat-powered abilities, and can use balloons to secure and exfiltrate stuff they like, including other characters.

But, more importantly, characters can and will jump. Do it once to eliminate an opponent's hat, do it again to knock that dude out. All enemies are perfectly capable of doing the same to the player’s chosen avatar. It’s a good idea to be as stealthy as possible and take care of enemies one at a time or in small groups.

It’s equally fun to tango with a level full of them, with everyone trying to jump on heads while also firing weapons, including powerful explosives. The level of chaos often makes it harder to complete a mission but getting out alive is even more rewarding when alarms are blaring and enemies are sticking grenades all over the place.

Missions in Mr. Sun's Hatbox are varied. Raids require players to kill everyone, there are timed objectives, sometimes the player only has to secure a certain number of items, and there are emergency rescues of kidnapped personnel. They culminate in heists that target the most important hats (more than 50 normal ones can be collected and used).

Play Video

The title also features base building. Research will open up more options for players, a brig allows them to change the loyalty of exfiltrated enemies, and a black market offers both contracts to fulfill and extra hardware to pick up. The number of rooms that need attention grows over time but this never becomes the central element of the game.

Mr. Sun's Hatbox is a rare video game that deals well with failure. Sure, you lose an operative that you might have cared for. But there are dozens waiting for a chance, each with their unique complement of quirks that will translate into fun gameplay moments.

Players should feel free to test out ideas, combinations of hats and weapons, and unique ways to approach an objective. Levels are varied in terms of design and enemy placement. There are just enough references to other video games to make players feel smart when they spot them. The entire package is designed to deliver emergent narratives and fun gameplay situations.

Mr. Sun's Hatbox uses pixel art and the results are delightful. There were a few times when I found it a little hard to know exactly what weapon a character was carrying or exactly what was scattered on a small ledge. But most of the time, even in its most chaotic moments, it’s easy to focus on what’s important, be that survival or an enemy that needs to be ballooned out.

The base management section also features a clean user interface and some nice small touches (I love the re-education pods in the brig). The game’s music is another highlight, especially the remix of a major movie theme that plays when the player is doing a big heist. I also like the variety and weirdness of the many hats.

+4more

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion