Players begin Full Bore by choosing whether to control a boy boar named Frederick or a girl boar named Hilda. The difference is mostly aesthetic, and it's not long before the chosen boar is forced underground to start digging out gems to repay an elder boar that blames the player for stealing his vault full of money. The event sets things in motion so that players continue working for the boar and begin digging deeper and deeper into the ground and the history of all boar kind and the "Whitecoats that worked underground before the rise of the boars. Most of this information is found through hidden computer terminals and ancient texts found scattered around the different levels in the game, and though this isn't the best way to tell a game's storyline, it does manage to give the optional information that doesn't distract away from the main plot for players that simply want to enjoy the main game.
Full Bore is an expertly crafted game that utilizes only a few core gameplay mechanics to entertain and confound players. The boars have access to only a few different abilities throughout the game that includes digging through dirt or chopping through wood and stone, pushing certain blocks, stomping to make some blocks drop or disappear and hopping up blocks that are a single space above the pig. There is a good variety of blocks included in the game such as dirt blocks, batteries, lasers and colored blocks that disappear and then reappear in another part of the current floor when attacked. Full Bore manages to take these few moves available to players and creates some really tricky and interesting puzzles for players to try and solve in order to get bonus gems and progress through the game.
Full Bore can be a very difficult game depending on how players to choose to approach the new title. Many of the puzzles are nearly unsolvable and will require a bunch of patience and trial and error to eventually solve. One of the best things about the game is that most of these puzzles are completely optional. Completionists will no doubt attempt to solve every puzzle they come across, but fans just trying to enjoy the game for the first time through won't find the game nearly as difficult, since many puzzles are just to grab unnecessary items that don't count towards completing the game.
Full Bore also includes an essential rewind feature that allows players to go back and reattempt a puzzle without needing to reboot the game. Rewinding the game will generally only take the stage back a few moves before completing resetting back to the last checkpoint, so players don't always get a completely free ride through the game. The feature also comes with a couple of other options including automatically resetting to the last checkpoint or fast-forward a bit, in case a mistake wasn't actually made as previously thought.
One other good feature included in Full Bore is a map system that allows players to look over the whole game world once each area has been entered at least once. The map is good for showing which rooms have hidden secrets and gems that still need to be obtained towards 100% completion. The map doesn't allow players to zoom in much, though this could be by design in order to give players no additional help when solving puzzles. The world of Full Bore is open from near the beginning of the game, and since players don't really acquire any new moves along the way, Players can be sure they're not entering into a new area that can't be fully completed the first time they step hoof into a new room.
Despite Full Bore being a fun game, a couple of minor complaints arise when playing through it for the first time. The game looks nice overall and in screenshots, but it's difficult to determine what kind of block is staring you right in the face at times. This can cause instant problems when attempting to solve a puzzle, since some blocks can be pushed, some crumble the moment the boar steps a hoof on it and other vanish away after the boar moves off of the top of it. This is one of the reasons the rewind feature is so essential gameplay and while trial and error is such a big part of the game as well. Likewise, the game's controls are good for the most part, but it's not uncommon to climb up a block when trying to fall down one block and vice-versa, since there is no dedicated button for performing each action. The problem only really seems to matter in a few areas of the game when racing against time, and it's hardly a reason to not play the game, but it is a minor annoyance that players should expect to get aggravated with a few times throughout the main campaign.
Overall, Full Bore is a good looking game with colorful sprites that makes encounters with new characters exciting each time it happens. The game also runs at a smooth 60 frames per second and features fantastic lighting that really changes the way levels appear the further down players dig. The game's controls are fine for the most part, and the game features a good tutorial mission to begin the game that ensures players won't forget the simple button commands needed to play the game. One of the best qualities of Full Bore's presentation is the game's soundtrack though. The game presents several themes that perfectly match their environments so much so that you will hardly notice the songs while playing, but when you pay attention, you're going to like what you hear.
Full Bore is a fun puzzle game that is both challenging and a rewarding experience that doesn't slack off when it comes to the game's storyline. The narrative of Full Bore features some deep themes and touching issues that compliments the entertaining gameplay very well. Full Bore is a great looking game that features fantastic lighting and other effects that will make players easily look past any shortcomings. A helpful rewind feature respects players' time and patience but doesn't make puzzle solving much easier. The open world game can be completed in only a couple of hours, while shooting for completionist goals will require days of playing the game. Full Bore is now available on Steam for PC and Linux, so check it out you dig?
Full Bore is now available for PC and Linux exclusively on Steam and can be purchased for $14.99. For more information on the game, check out the official Full Bore website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Pig Digging Fun
- Full Controller Support
- Steam Trading Card Support
- Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer: Whole Hog Games
Publisher: Nkidu Games
Platforms: PC (reviewed) & Linux
Release Date: May 6, 2014
