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A great 3D platformer seems to be a rare and special thing these days. I think Psychonauts 2 was the last one that really took my breath away, but outside of that (as well as obviously every 3D Nintendo platformer), I often struggle to think of many games that could be considered its equal. There's always something holding them back, isn't there? Whether it's a wonky camera, slightly unwieldly controls, or the platforming itself is just a little too pedestrian to ignite the imagination.
So where does Penny's Big Breakaway fit into the equation? This is the next game from former Sonia Mania dev Christian Whitehead's new studio, Evening Star, and yep, you can definitely tell this was made by some real Sonic heads. Penny and her (strangely toothy) sentient yo-yo, err, Yo-Yo, feel like a ball of energy just waiting to bust out across the colourful scenery of their home world of Macaroon, and golly, they sure can fly with just a couple of timely button presses. Alas, there is a but. For me at least, Penny and Yo-Yo are perhaps a bit too energetic for my platforming tastes, and having spent a few hours with an early preview build, I often found them quite a rambunctious pairing to keep under control.