After 23 years, one of the most iconic games of my childhood returns. When I heard that Platypus was coming back during a visit to London Games Festival I was absolutely elated. An early 2000's shooter made almost entirely of clay models with some very wonderful animations, backdrops and quite the level of difficulty.

Platypus Reclayed brings back everything from the original and rebuilds it from the ground up with new clay models, stunning "˜claymation' moving clay objects and a full sound rebuild. The original game is thrown in for good measure.

Developed in a garage with a whole tonne of clay, then turned into video game assets there is very much a Wallace and Gromit feel and aesthetic to Platypus. But don't be fooled by the child-friendly art style, some of the difficulty in Reclayed and the original is no joke and we'll get to that later.

Earlier this year we interviewed the original creator of Platypus, Anthony Flack who said about bringing back the game: "...people never stopped asking me about it. Seeing how much positive feeling there was for the game even after such a long time made me want to do something for the fans, and do it properly". Well, did they do it properly? Or did they turn this into Play-Doh? Let's find out in our full review.

Bringing Back a Cult-Clay Classic

Platypus Reclayed is not a remaster of the 2002 original, it is a full rebuild - quite literally - of the game. The ground-up remake includes a full new suite of clay models that have been meticulously crafted by hand then programmed into stop-motion game assets.

The remake also introduces new modernised gameplay and weapons, other new content and 4K widescreen support. Various difficulty levels - including some which are incredibly challenging, as well as new music make this a full remake.

If you're looking for the original, it's included in Reclayed allowing you to see how advanced the remake is:

Gameplay - Clazy Levels of Variety

Platypus Reclayed brings back exactly the same gameplay from the original and tweaks it to modern standards. Precision shoot-em-up mechanics, a huge arsenal of weapons and a metric tonne of enemies, the game has all the hallmarks of the genre.

But what sets Platypus apart amongst the genre's greats is its art style and many wacky ammunition types like fish, burgers and sausages. It wouldn't be Platypus without powerful nonsensical weapons, but they're only part of the fun. I had much more enjoyment (and success!) with weapons from a more traditional arsenal including lasers, homing rockets and the ever-satisfying fireball which melts enemies when up close and personal.

My playthrough always had me learning something new, honing my enemy understanding and sharpening my reflexes.

Whilst Platypus's enemies may often look cute with their clay art style, don't be misled. Many of these enemies pack a real punch and are capable of flooding your screen with lasers, bullets or simply kamikazeing their way to your teeny F-27 Platypus ship. What I don't recall from the original is the exceptional level of variety, each enemy boasts their own move patterns and often firing methods too. Every stage introduces new foes to learn and master and I assure you, some are incredibly tough to avoid.

Each stage has 5 levels which up the ante as you work towards a boss battle. Platypus's bosses are all unique and again, not easy. I had particular struggles with the stage 2 boss who limits your play space to a fraction of the screen. Whilst tough, none seemed unfair and I felt myself improving each run.

In addition to the enemy variety, each stage is visually different and brings new environmental challenges. The second stage with it’s volcano backdrop introduces flying rocks and magma that give players new items to avoid and ways to plan their movement. Whilst Stage 4 takes place in a city with buildings and other structures to avoid.

Whilst I didn't have the opportunity to play the included couch co-op towards my review, I did get hands-on with a friend earlier this year and it played terrifically then. It is a very welcome addition.

There's a shedload of replayability in Platypus Reclayed, be it the higher difficulty levels (which there is no chance I'll ever beat) or high score chasing. Each run will throw new power ups your way and there's plenty of creative achievements / trophies to chase.

Mods are being added day one and I know from the Discord, the community will be getting to work immediately.

Audio – Arcade Classics

Platypus Reclayed audio is just as fun as the game it plays to. A range of remixed 80’s music that wouldn't sound out of place in an arcade racer like F Zero. All stages have their own tracks befitting to the backdrop they accompany.

An excellent soundtrack is wonderfully supported by some of the best sound effects I've heard in a game for a long time. Weapons with their own sounds, explosions of enemies into balls of clay and a catchy robotic commentator, the sound design is excellent. A particular highlight is the whoosh sound of the rockets that turn foes into clay mush.

Story – Taking Down Collostropolis

There is a backstory in Platypus Reclayed, though nothing that matters at all to the gameplay. Mega metropolis, Collosatropolis is facing overcrowding and population problems. The powers of Collosatropolis have set their ships - your enemies – on course for your homeland, Mungola.

The F-27 "Platypus" ships are the last line of defence for Mungola who seek to repel the colonial threat from the fleet of Collosatropolis gunships. Massively outnumbered, the freedom of your people is at the mercy of your trigger finger.

The story provides context for the game, yet thankfully doesn’t shoehorn in cutscenes or unnecessary narrative that would’ve felt intrusive.

Conclusion - So Much Reclayability

Platypus Reclayed is an excellent remake of a classic shooter. A full rebuild that has been crafted with a lot of love and community engagement (do checkout the fun Claymatic Discord) that met every expectation I had. Showing no signs of ageing, the gameplay improvements make the 23 year old game feel brand new.

Tremendous art design, new content and plenty of replayability make Platypus Reclayed an excellent shoot-em-up for fans of the original, or those new to the franchise. I comfortably recommend Platypus Reclayed.

Platypus Reclayed releases on Steam, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox X/S, and Nintendo Switch on 18 September 2025.

Thank you to the developer, Claymatic Games for providing a code for the purpose of the review. The review was played on Steam Deck in handheld mode throughout the review. I will be purchasing the Xbox version of the game and will update this review with any comments related to the Xbox version if necessary.

Did you play the original Platypus? Are you planning on checking out the full release? Let us know in the comments below and stick with GSC for more on Platypus Reclayed.