There’s a lot to like about Game Pass. It’s relatively cheap, can come bundled with Xbox Live and includes many of the biggest AAA releases as part of the bargain. Seeing it completely replace traditional sales wouldn’t be a good thing, but there’s no denying that there are a lot of benefits to the service. Of these, the ability to just try games at no extra cost is probably the most significant. There are so many games out there that just don’t seem interesting at first glance, so many people just opt not buy them. This is a shame, but it is what it is. With Game Pass, though, suddenly it’s worth giving these sorts of games a try, and sometimes one might just find something that’s worth the full asking price. One such game isPhogs!, a cute and incredibly creative co-op puzzle game that deserves more attention.
First, what exactly is a “phog?” Well, it’s a kind of two-headed dog with each head at either end of the animal. Basically, it’sCatDogbut with no legs and both ends being dogs. How does such a creature survive, much less move around and solve puzzles? Why, by magic of course! According to Phogs!, its namesake animal is a magical creature, so don’t worry about the details. It’s really just an adorable dog-like character through which players can explore the various playgrounds.
Playgrounds are exactly what these levels, each having players using their phogs in a new and sometimes ridiculous way. One stage is basically a throwback to the bowling alleys/arcades of the ’90s (complete with party carpeting). Every activity and puzzle turns the phogs into a different gameplay tool. One moment the phogs are piloting strikers on an air hockey table, in another they’re a rubber band guiding a ball through a maze of pitfalls and in yet another they’re the claw in a claw machine. There are so many ways to use the phogs, and that’s just a few samples from one stage.
Other interesting phog moments include acting as a water hose, freezing into odd shapes to navigate precarious spaces and growing/shrinking one phog end or the other to either move large objects or squeeze through tight spaces. The imagination is the limit to what these phogs can do, which is a real testament to the creativity of the team who made them. They even thought to put in little extras like a “bark” button and funny little thought icons to help players express themselves. That last one is actually rather important, because Phogs! is meant to be played cooperatively.
While there are all manner of co-op games out there, many of them aren’t able to really make use of the function. Sure, one can play these games with other players and enjoy the experience, but there’s a difference between simple playing alongside someone and actually playing with them. The former just means more of the same offered in single player, while the latter offers a truly transformed and collaborative experience. That’s what Phogs! co-op offers. Players can’t simply do their own thing in parallel. Rather, they must constantly be communicating and working together to progress.
In many ways, it’s similar in feel toIt Takes Two, but both players must figure out how best to use a shared pool of abilities rather than make two different sets work together. Honestly, an even better comparison would be the co-op portion of Portal 2. That game required players to employ real coordination and problem-solving to make it through each stage, and Phogs! does the same. There’s no making it through any of this game’s challenges if both players aren’t on the same page. So, navigating each stage winds up feeling quite satisfying; it really does feel like a well-earned accomplishment. The frequent doses of “d’aww!” definitely help too.
Phogs! is a fantastic example of the sorts of experiences players can find if they’re incentivized to look past initial impressions. It’s the kind of game that both sounds and looks strange at first, but is worth the full price. The only way to know that is to play it though, and how many of us would be willing to drop money on something that doesn’t immediately impress? That’s where Game Pass comes in handy, though, as it removes that particular barrier. So yeah, give Phogs! a try, but also be sure to try whatever else seems interesting on the service. It’s very much worth it.
