Do you miss the days of classic 3D platformers? Then you’re probably going to want to pay attention to Penny’s Big Breakaway, an upcoming PS5 platformer that harks back to the era of collectathons on Nintendo 64 and PS1. It’s being developed by Evening Star, a new studio fronted by Sonic Mania’s Christian Whitehead, so you know it’s going to feel good.

The gimmick here is that the titular “yo-tagonist” is armed with a yo-yo, and that feeds into all kinds of fun and exciting gameplay opportunities. “In Penny’s Big Breakaway, you play as Penny, an aspiring court performer who is on the run after her yo-yo created quite the commotion during her audition at the royal palace,” the press release reads. “In response, Eddie the Emperor commands his loyal penguin forces to capture Penny and her stringed companion, Yo-Yo. The chase is then on, and it is up to you to help our hero escape capture over the course of 12 vibrant, geometric worlds!”

The game’s being built using Evening Star’s very own Star Engine, and you’ll need to be agile if you intend to overcome the penguin hordes pursuing you. The press release continues: “Be sure to keep up your momentum while playing, because in addition to Story Mode, Penny’s Big Breakaway also includes a Time Attack Mode, where you can try and achieve the perfect run and set high scores on the leaderboard for the world to see.”

Take-Two’s indie label Private Division has signed on to publish the release, which will debut early next year. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the first footage embedded above.

[source youtube.com]