Very playable but minimalistic platformer
Given that you will be playing as a cartoonish rat, always hungry for a nice piece of cheese and unafraid to take on a good platforming challenge, this game looks geared towards children. On the other hand, the very simple design and the lack of any enemies will feel as if this is more of an experiment in platformer design, a project undertaken by a very small team (as is the case, Packrat is the product of a one man studio) rather produced so as to learn something about the genre or about game design in general. The game follows a very simple principle on which each level is iterated, you have to explore the 2D environment, find the key and then find the exit. That's it. Diversity comes only in the form of different platform surfaces, which can be slippery or not, different velocities that you require and jump heights to reach certain platforms and also, some rather badly used conveyor belts, which don't add much to the challenge of the game. So, while perfectly playable and I would argue, very well suited for someone who doesn't want a lot of challenge, the game won't really capture your imagination, unless, you too consider game design. In which case the game will showcase pretty clearly how platforming design can alter the appeal of a game of the genre and what the role of each element is in this type of game.
