La Petite Avril

In spite of the many genres and sub-genres out there, most video games can be resumed to a few simple concepts. One of these is the fact that you have to avoid obstacles, regardless of what form they come in, and it’s irrelevant whether it’s an RPG, a platformer or a shooter. Hence, you have to get to the end somehow, and the way there is paved with enemies, puzzles or traps.

La Petite Avril is a cute little platformer with 2D levels and colorful graphics, in which you have to guide a little girl as she explores an interesting world full of tough challenges to overcome. The game is not as hardcore as most fast-paced platformers, on the other hand, which means that you can take things easy and move at your own pace through the levels.

There are still plenty of dangers to be wary of, however, such as enemies that can hurt the little girl if they get too close. Avoiding enemies is but one of the challenges, since you also have to execute precise jumps from platform to platform in order to move further into the levels. Other puzzles appear along the way too, but thankfully the girl is equipped with flowers that can be thrown in order to bypass walls or similar obstacles.

Since this is a pretty basic game, the level design is not very intricate, which means that most of the time it’s very clear where you should go. There’s not a lot of exploration either, given the fact that most stages have but one route you can follow. As for the enemies, they do get peskier as you advance, but don’t expect anything too wild. The game also comes with a time trial mode, just in case you are interested in speedruns.

As for the controls, their simplicity is what makes them so refined, because there are no special functions or intricate actions to perform. You can only move, throw flowers and jump, so everything is polished in this regard. The graphics are quite enjoyable too, although maybe a bit too pink for more hardcore players. You can tell that this is meant to be relaxing and joyful, on the other hand.

In the end, La Petite Avril is worth a shot if you are up for a simple adventure and you do not mind the basic gameplay mechanics. It’s also a great game for small children, because it doesn’t feature any violence.