Rotund Rebound is the culmination of Dahku's Rotund Game Series trilogy, and it's proven itself to be one of the best 2D platformers I've ever played. I've been a fan of this series back when it was just one game called Chubbins for the Wii U (remade for Steam/Switch as Rotund Takeoff), and since its announcement in 2018 I was eagerly anticipating Rotund Rebound's release. And it delivers in every single aspect! The basic concept is that you're always bouncing, and you must make your way through many challenging levels, preferably in a quick amount of time.
This game exceeded my expectations in its scope and mechanics. Rotund Takeoff has a good amount of gameplay ideas, but Rebound expands with a lot of new ideas being introduced. Four new enemy types, sideways blocks, new powerups that alter how you play through the levels, six playable characters that have subtle, unique abilities, optional minigames you can play on the side, three different methods of playing through the levels that act as an easy/normal/hard difficulty modifier... But the most interesting new ideas actually come from the level designs themselves. The new mechanics help elevate a lot of these levels, but the design of these levels is more complex and creative than the already well-designed levels that Takeoff has to offer. Dahku really makes the most of all the gameplay elements at their disposal. The difficulty of the levels in Rebound is a lot higher than Takeoff; it's never unfair, but there's quite a few levels (even early on) that will likely be brutal on your first playthrough. There are also several boss battles, which can get insanely hard towards the end but are still fun and creative nonetheless. The controls and gamefeel are basically perfect, though if you ask me I'd recommend using a keyboard for this game. It's certainly beatable with a controller, but I find the keyboard makes it easier to control for more precise movements.
Every level feels unique, and this is further exemplified by every single level having a unique background. The artstyle is more on the simple side, but the graphics are all very detailed. The backdrops of each level look great, and there's more variety in locations than one might expect, even in worlds with a simpler theme like the grass and snow worlds. The characters look great, too; they're distinct and charming, and even have their own character bios if you're willing to look for them.
The soundtrack is excellent. I have a soft spot for Takeoff's slower and more atmospheric approach, but the energetic retro style fits Rebound just as well. The world map and boss music are nice re-imaginings of the songs from Rotund Takeoff, and the stage themes have a nice variety and all carry a different sort of mood despite mostly being upbeat. The sound design is also good. Not much else to say about it, the sound effects just sound good and are implemented well.
I feel like I've mainly just been listing features of the game, but I really love this game. It's an excellent speed game (hopefully some speedrunners will pick this up at some point!), but it's also a great game to play through at your own pace, if you're willing to put your skills to the test. Just a wonderful journey of a game from start to finish, and the focus on time attack and high skill ceiling gives this game excellent replay value. I fully recommend Rotund Rebound if you like challenging 2D platformers like Celeste, Pizza Tower, VVVVVV, classic 2D Mario titles... It certainly plays differently from those games I just listed, but is still just as excellent in every way.
