Not every Metroidvania successfully stands out from the crowd on Switch, but Sheepo hopes to do so courtesy of a rather neat mechanic for 'upgrading' your character.

The idea is that you're trying to discover and preserve varied creatures on a dying planet, and in the process inherit their abilities. The story is quite bonkers, which can often be a good thing.

Sheepo is a quirky metroidvania platformer with a unique twist: its gameplay doesn’t contain standard combat. You play as Sheepo, a shape-shifting sheep-alien zoologist who is tasked with exploring the uncharted planet Cebron and collecting samples of its living species, so as to save them from extinction with the upcoming death of their planet’s star. To capture a creature Sheepo must find their unhatched egg, which happens to be guarded by that species’ queen...

Having been well received on Steam, this is now making its way to consoles including the Switch on 20th October for $10.99/€10.99/£9.89. Below is some more PR blurb to give you a sense of what it's all about.

  • Pacifist Metroidvania platformer: in a charming unique twist to the genre Sheepo contains no combat as such – you’re capturing these creatures to conserve them!
  • Tight platforming with silk-smooth controls. Play as both Sheepo, and the variety of creatures you come in contact with. Gameplay remains fresh as you consistently learn the moves of each creature!
  • Traverse a sprawling landscape with tons of hidden rooms and characters. Explore old mines, an abandoned mall, lush forests, the dingy sewer system, and much more.
  • 75+ hidden feathers to collect (the planet's currency), which can be spent at the last remaining shop in DeadMall.
  • Non-linear gameplay. As you explore, discover eggs, and gain more transformations. Sheepo's world quickly opens up to allow you to make your own route -Meet the locals and discover what's happening to planet Cebron.
  • Heartwarming, cute aesthetics, along with a whimsical soundtrack to accompany you in your adventures.
  • Available in English, German, French, traditional Chinese, and Japanese

Let us know what you think - are you tempted to pick this up?