Overview – developed and published by Amberbite in collaboration with Bright Gambit, Shoe it All! is a physics based action game, where the player must launch shoes to solve puzzles. Play as the rebellious teen Lace, challenging authority and the order of the world, armed with a swing and a pile of shoes to cause chaos. This title is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox series platforms with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Bright Gambit for providing the copy of Shoe it All! used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. There is some plot to this title, but the details are relatively light, so I will be moving straight into the gameplay, with some of these details sprinkled throughout.
Gameplay – Shoe it All! is a physics based action puzzler, where the player controls Lace, a rebellious teenager who refuses to fit in. To rebel against the rules, order and authority, Lace is armed with a swing and a pile of shoes, using them to cause as much chaos as possible. Taking place across more than 65 stages, the player must launch shoes to break down walls, shatter windows and be a menace to society in general without a care in the world.
The main game has players complete puzzles split into chapters, with each puzzle having the player throwing shoes at objects. To launch the shoes at the different objects, the player will use a swing, going back and forth to gain momentum before launching the foot based projectile. The objective for each puzzle will vary, with simple challenges like hitting a stop sign or fire hydrant, becoming more challenging like setting off chain reactions.
Many of the puzzles will have destructible elements to them, including buildings with breakable windows, fences that have panels to knock out and more. There are also puzzles that will have multiple steps to them, with each step being essential to completion. In each of the puzzles, the way the player approaches them can affect the outcome of them in the end. When each stage is cleared, the player will be awarded stickers for completing them.
Each stage has three stickers tied to them, with objectives that are as simple as clearing the stage. But there will be additional challenges that are more complicated, like clearing them within a set time, using a target number of shoes and performing special trick shots. These tricks will challenge the skills of players, as they require tight timing to pull off. Players can also use Lace to clear puzzles, by throwing her from the swing by going all the way around multiple times.
The stages can be replayed freely, allowing the player to clear them with only one or two stickers, then come back to them to get the rest of the completion marks. Players will also be able to unlock bonus stages, which are tied to special objectives and tricks in stages. These stages are required to get the full completion achievements, which need all of the stickers for a chapter. Each of the stickers are added to the journal, which doubles as a stage select.
Players will also encounter bosses tied to the chapter they are on, which includes a lady that appears from a tree to throw apples at the player. These bosses will use the skills that players have refined during the preceding stages, which ties the chapter together. There will also be special mechanics that are unlocked as players progress, including a fire power-up that sets the shoes on fire, causing them to blast across the screen when launched.
Away from the main game mode, there are additional challenge modes, with the speedrun mode being the main challenge for players. This allows players to work through all of the stages for a chapter, with a timer running across each of them including boss. The total time for clearing all the stages is added to a global leaderboard, allowing players to complete across the world for the number one spot on the rankings.
There are additional locked challenges and bonuses for players to discover, which increases the replay value on offer. This is a relatively short experience on the surface, with the main game lasting a few hours. But with the extra modes, challenges and bonus stages there is a lot of depth to the content. It also promotes creative chaos, encouraging players to approach puzzles from different angles, some stages can be cleared without launching a single shoe.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – Shoe it All! has a very simple control scheme to it, that makes it easy to pick up and play. The player only needs to use left and right on the thumbstick/d-pad to swing, with the action button to launch the shoes. This makes it easy for players of all capabilities to access the game, with the only other button needed is a reset button. The game is designed to be used with a controller, but it can be played with a keyboard on PC.
Difficulty – there is an accessible difficulty curve for this game, with no true fail state for the puzzles so they can be retried as many times as needed to clear. The difficulty comes from the challenges to get full completion stickers, like hitting specific trick shots and hitting shoe use targets. Due to the relatively low difficulty curve, the main story can be beaten by everyone with a little determination, making it perfect for casual play.
Presentation – the style for this game is both colorful and simple, with the puzzles playing out in a void that is either white or black. Within the void, the models on screen are bold with a low poly look to them. There are splashes of vibrant color, appearing when events play out contrasting well within the emptiness of the voids. The sound has a chaotic feel to it, with punk style music that adds a lot of energy to the action on screen, alongside effects that add impact to the action.
Final thoughts – I am a fan of unique and unusual games, with Shoe it All! fitting that interest due to the wacky nature of the game. There is a vibrant surrealism to the game, with the premise of using shoes to break items being a very unique mechanic. While this is a simple concept, there is a lot of depth to the gameplay on offer and fun to be had. There is tight precision needed to complete some puzzles, which can be frustrating, but it isn’t punishing if mistakes are made.
I very much enjoy the action on offer, as it is much more challenging than it appears on the surface. There is a quirky charm that accompanies the chaos, with the player being a menace and destroying the environment. Shoe it All! may seem like a short game, but there is enough present to keep players entertained long after the main mode is cleared. I am happy to recommend this to everyone, especially given the low cost to pick it up.
In the end, I give Shoe it All! a final score of 4.5/5. This is a weird, wacky and chaotic physics puzzler, which offers a unique experience for players, with a good amount of gameplay on offer and plenty of fun to be had with the chaos. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox series version (HERE)
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