Big Hops [REVIEW] – Frogtacular 3D Platforming Action

If you’re anything like me, you probably spent a HUGE chunk of 2025 absolutely glued to Donkey Kong Bananza – it was easily one of my favourite titles of the year, and a serious reminder of just how much that I love 3D platforming. But if there was one downside to playing something that good, it’s that it left me with a serious itch for more 3D platforming action. Well, I didn’t have to wait too long into 2026 to get that fix, with Luckshot Games releasing Big Hops, a delightful 3D platformer that’s packed with charm, creativity, and plenty of frantically fun platforming action.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Big Hops puts players in the role of Hop, an adorable frog who has been separated from his family and roped into a dimension-hopping quest by a mischievous imp named Diss. The setup is simple (collect ‘Dark Drips’ and airship parts to get home) but, of course, the execution is where the magic really happens. In many ways, it’s your standard 3D platforming fare story-wise, with Big Hops not doing much that’ll surprise you, but it utilises classic tropes of the genre in its world-building that’ll instantly make long-time fans feel right at home. It does everything that it needs to, and with each level within the game having their own little stories to tell, it’s easy to find yourself hooked in.

Let’s talk about the movement, because that really is the heart and soul of Big Hops. It is refreshingly focused on the platforming itself rather than bogging you down with fighting off hordes of enemies, and aside from the occasional boss encounter, it’s really just you versus the terrain… fortunately, controlling Hop is an absolute dream. It clicks almost instantly, and if you’ve played any other 3D platformer (and, to an extent, something like Titanfall 2), you’re going to feel right at home here. You aren’t just hopping: you’re belly-sliding to keep momentum, grappling with your tongue, and wall-running across gaps like a parkour pro, with Hop a talented little amphibian with plenty of platforming tricks that makes traversal an absolute joy.

The controls are incredibly intuitive, giving you the full freedom to pull off pretty much any manoeuvre you can think of with minimal fuss. It’s fast, fluid, and responsive, making even basic traversal feel like a reward, and whilst it took me roughly ten hours to beat the game, I honestly hadn’t grown tired of the movement by the time the credits rolled… it just feels THAT good to play.

“Big Hops is the kind of game that leaves you with a big, massive smile on your face when playing.“

Big Hops also does plenty of other little things that adds to the charm of the experience. To really sell the frog fantasy, there’s a delightful little mechanic involving the local wildlife: you can snag bugs right out of the air with your tongue. It’s not just for flavour either, because catching a bug gives you a cute little science fact (which is really, really charming), and also gives Hop a small boost. It is such a small detail to include in the game, but it’s one of the little things that the team at Luckshot Games have implemented to ensure that the game is big on personality.

What’s most impressive is how Big Hops doesn’t just feel like a clone of genre classics, but also brings its own unique flair to the table. Besides the intuitive platforming and cute bug-eating, players also use various fruits and vegetables found throughout each level to open new paths of traversal – you aren’t just pressing a switch to open a door, but you’re grabbing an acorn to grow a climbable vine, using a pepper to burn down obstacles, or tossing a mushroom to create a makeshift bounce pad. There’s so much room for creativity, and whilst there’s always a ‘right’ way to approach things in order to progress, there’s also plenty of flexibility to do things how you want to. It adds to the fun and just emphasises how thoughtfully creative Big Hops’ design really is – and with plenty of other neat little ideas introduced as you go along (I haven’t even mentioned the gravity twisting you’ll come across), there’s always something fresh to uncover.

However, as much as I adore the game, I have to be real about a few blemishes. While the movement is generally really fluid, the camera can occasionally be your worst enemy, getting stuck on walls or refusing to zoom out when you need a wider view of a jump. I got caught out a few times, and whilst the game is generous enough with checkpoints that it never feels too punishing, it can halt the flow of the platforming action. It’s also guilty of being a little bit easy in places – whilst the platforming can have its challenging moments, it’s rare that you’ll find your fingers in a complete twist as you try to progress through a tricky level. In fairness, it’s not really a big flaw in itself, but as a long-time platforming fan, I do like to have my skills pushed… you know… to keep myself sharp.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Honestly? These are minor issues in what is otherwise a fantastic package. Big Hops is a ton of fun, packed with charm, and offers a world that’s a delight to be a part of. If, like me, you have been waiting for another modern 3D platformer that captures the spirit of the classics while adding its own fresh twist, this really is it.

Developer: Luckshot Games
Publisher: Luckshot Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1221480/Big_Hops/