Review: Leo & Mia Animal Rescue

Respect the wildlife

Players can toggle between playing as Leo or Mia, two kitties with the goal of saving wild animals from abuse. Team up and fight off the poachers which are these lizard people. Why are the good guys felines and the bad guys reptilian? I suppose it plays off the childhood association of domestic cats being cute and cuddly mammals while lizards have a connection to dinosaurs, who are threatening and seemingly aggressive. It is described as an “animal-friendly” game, but I guess lizards just don’t count!

Leo & Mia features a main base, or a refuge, that will rotate between three settings: the Savannah, the Mangroves, and the Mountains. There are five “unique” missions per location, alongside various side quests. At the refuge, players can rest up, change the appearance of Leo or Mia’s clothes and weapons, and both feed and heal up rescued animals.

Within side quests and hidden areas, players might find these tiny pinatas to crack open. It will reward you with new cosmetic options, or these mini fish crackers that will help you pay for these customizable aspects.

The bad reputation of lizards

There are various mechanics to Leo & Mia: Animal Rescue. You can jump, climb rocks and walls, and use a hang glider to travel far distances. Be aware that the latter two movements take up stamina. Modern platformers seem to always feature a stamina wheel!

Combat-wise, Leo and Mia will come equipped with several abilities. The main weapon is a bee gun. For some reason, this “animal-friendly” game requires you to rapidly shoot bees at lizards. The bee gun is useful for when you are on higher ground than the enemy, or to shoot at range-attack poachers. Another weapon players have is a shocker rod. This is the close-combat weapon that is more powerful and will probably be the most commonly used. Finally, you can also send a swarm of bees or bats to stun enemies and make them prone. Attack sequences are mostly smooth, but there is a delayed response when I press the “R” button on my Switch to send the swarm.

There are various types of poachers. Some are little, yellow guys that take one hit to kill; and there is the normal green-colored lizards, these chunky blue ones that will inhale bees from the bee gun, so they require close-range attacks; and there are ranged attackers that throw traps, rocks, or spiky vines. The game also features boss battles that vary in attack patterns and have loftier health bars. At the very least, the poachers you encounter are not repetitive. They are very much simplified versions of the Legend of Zelda‘s Lizalfos.

Unlock the cage with your own heart

Leo & Mia: Animal Rescue is fairly easy and quick, taking about 2-3 hours of playtime. There are no penalties for losing all of your health. You restart right at the scene of “death,” unless you die over three times. Then, you restart further away from your previous location.

Since the game is meant for a younger audience, there are clear-cut instructions on the right side of the screen detailing your current goals. There will also be this obvious green beam of light indicating the correct destination of the mission. If you are ever lost (which is highly unlikely), there will be this yellow circle of bees slowly guiding you on the right path. The only time I was ever lost on the map was when I was inside the cave system. It is just so visually bland that I would forget which opening led to where.

At the refuge, players will need to check up on rescued animals. Sometimes they are sick or injured, and you will need to bust out the first aid kit to heal them. You can also feed them cupcake treats to bond with them some more. Regardless of your system’s volume, the animals will make voraciously loud noises for some reason when you interact with them. Players can also take photos of rescued wild animals, and these pictures will be showcased in the gallery.

The “beauty” of the savannah

The visual style . . . is ugly. In reality, savannahs may not always be the most exciting landscape to look at, but this game makes it look insanely barren. Leo & Mia‘s graphics lack color contrast, so most animals and scenes appear dull. While everything is still distinguishable and easy to navigate, it is just simply boring and lacks fine detail.

There are slight performance issues, such as some delayed attacks. Sometimes animals that try to run back to the wild or refuge will get stuck in a fence and are then unable to be led, pet or fed.

The soundtrack of the game is super limited, mostly featuring a calming ambiance. The music suddenly revs up during combat sessions, but it is always the same track every time. I recommend having the sound on just to avoid boredom, despite the music not being that interesting itself.

Final thoughts

Leo & Mia: Animal Rescue is definitely made for children 7 and under. I believe you will be horribly bored above this age group.

It is also not an educational title, just pure exploration and combat. I do not think all kids’ games have to be educational (I mean, I don’t learn anything worldly from Super Mario but it is a fantastic line of games), but . . . I think this one should have been? Players are roaming around a vast savannah for cat’s sake! This could have been a purrfect opportunity to talk about these habitats to some degree, maybe showcase the natural food chain some more, or give cute blurbs about each and every species of animal. But . . . nope. Leo & Mia have none of this.

It is also kind of weird to me how humanoid the cats and lizards are, yet all the rhinos and lions are just “wild.” Okay then?

Overall, Leo & Mia is super accessible and easy to play; a short and sweet game to keep your young kiddos entertained. Just don’t expect much.