Grow Up, sequel to last year’s Grow Home, is a platformer by Ubisoft. Set in an artistic open world, Grow Up once again puts you in the shoes of a robot named B.U.D. (Botanical Utility Droid). The story at hand is minimal, and the basic objective is to find all the parts of B.U.D.’s ship — M.O.M. that are scattered all over the world.
The game is intended to be a physics-based platformer from the get go and thus the controls will feel infuriatingly hard unless you approach it with the right mindset. Lose control of your movement, and you will be forced to reset. It’s quite challenging at first but the fun comes from mastering the controls. It’s not about speed as much as making sure every part of B.U.D. moves exactly how you want it to move.
In this sequel, B.U.D. has gained new abilities that help him navigate the world. One such ability allows him to scan various plants and then grow them as and when required. For instance the first plant you gain access to allows you to jump really high. By scanning it, you can grow it anywhere, including stacking them on top of one another, in order to reach your goal. Tools such as Jetpacks and Gliding are also unlocked later.
B.U.D. can attach himself to objects in the world, and then climb them using the help of the triggers. This is especially useful if you’ll not be able to land on a surface but can reach its edge and then climb on top. The world consists of a lot floating land masses, thus much of the gameplay involves careful timing and precision. Upon landing in water, you are automatically sent back to the previous checkpoint.
The bigger open world and new abilities make Grow Up a worthy successor to Grow Home. It is still as charming as the original and the improved mechanics help build upon it. It never strives for anything more, just the joy of climbing massive landscapes using the various tools available to you.
