One-handed clapping review
One Hand Clapping is an expertly crafted marvelous idea in a little 2D platformer. It not only requires good timing and platforming skills, but also uses our voice to light paths, clear obstacles, and help your character in any way possible to get them where they need to be.
Don't be put off by having to sing, because One Hand Clapping doesn't care if you're America's next idol or if you only sound good in the shower – the only thing they're looking for is whether or not you have a voice, and whether you are ready to use it. It's fun and can raise eyebrows with family and friends who happen to be nearby, but it's definitely worth a try if you have a microphone nearby.
There isn't a lot of story to follow, the game is more experience driven and provides beautifully designed environments and platforming. By using your voice, you can lead your character where he needs to go. There are a few simple puzzles to solve to find the right path, and they're mostly intuitive and cleverly laid out. On top of that, the visuals are crisp and clean, with the colors appropriately setting the mood of each scene, making the dark backgrounds super eerie but the light backgrounds warm and hopeful.
sing your song
While the puzzles aren't hard to solve, figuring out what to do and timing it correctly is another. Sometimes it seems extremely easy and solving the current environment might be obvious, but it's not just a puzzle game after all. Coupled with the platforming and the requirement to time not only your movement but also when to use your voice, this adds another welcome level of complexity. It doesn't hurt to keep a glass of water nearby, because there's no guarantee that you'll time your movements and your voice perfectly on the first few tries. It's great fun trying out your different pitches and testing your abilities to hit the right note, and speaking as a non-singer is generally easy to pick up.
The concept is new and creative, requiring players to connect a microphone to the console because your voice is the tool you will use the most. This means that it requires additional equipment to play, as I tried to play without my headphones and it wouldn't allow it. It also means that because your voice is an integral part of the game, you will have to talk or sing for long periods of time. Some scenes may require you to continue singing something, and others may require you to hum and sustain your current pitch. Luckily, no musical talent is required to complete the game successfully, however, it makes bus rides difficult when you want to play it on your trip home.
Microphone check
Although additional equipment is required to play the game, the microphone you use does not need to be of very high quality. I just used my old helmet which was lying around and was able to overcome obstacles easily with it. You can adjust the sensitivity of your microphone where the game can pick up even the faintest sounds. It's not very good at picking up whispers, so make sure you don't play it in the middle of the night while your family is sleeping.
Although singing skills are not required, it is useful to be able to differentiate the higher notes from the lower ones. There will be times when certain platforms will rise and fall depending on the pitch of your voice. You don't need to know which note to hit, but you just need to know if you're hitting a note high or low enough to keep your character moving. It's actually very simple and the game is very forgiving of your mistakes. In fact, it encourages you to try things out before moving forward, as you can always go backwards by adjusting your voice as well.
Of course, the goal is to have a good time trying something new. One Hand Clapping is fun for singers and non-singers alike, so I'm sure everyone will enjoy this creative experience. You can use it as an excuse to warm up your voice if you're going out for Christmas carols, or you can just sing along to your heart's content while progressing through a video game. And who knows, maybe you'll find that you really have a talent for singing.
*** A Switch review code provided by the publisher ***
