A Hat in Time is a colourful and energetic 3D platformer that reminds you of earlier N64 titles such as Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, while still being its own unique game.

The protagonist, Hat Kid, is an adorable character with agile and fun movement, similar to how Mario controls in Mario 64. Like Banjo, Hat Kid is able to acquire new abilities through the different hats and badges available to her. This leads to very fun platforming that can be fast paced and precise. While Hat Kid's movement felt more restrictive than Mario's at the start--being unable to perform air attacks, ground pound, somersaults--her mid-air dash, homing attack, and wall running/jumping easily make her base moveset as agile and interesting, which is supplemented by the different abilities.

The game features four open levels that can be travelled to in any order from a central hub; conceptually similar to the observatory in Mario Galaxy. Unlike Galaxy, however, each level is less linear, and rewards exploration with collectibles. It is in fact intentionally possible to perform sequence breaks in these open levels.

The theme is wonderfully absurd: a kid in a hat that travels through space, beating mafia and chickens with an umbrella, participating in old westerns, climbing mountains where giant goats live, and selling her soul to a mysterious spirit in the forest. The world is colourful and interesting, and, like Portal 2 and the Zelda games, made me curious of the unexplained lore of each level--who built the giant structures everywhere? just how big is Dead Bird Studio? what are the three gigantic towers I see in the distance?

As for audio, the music of the game is excellent. Pascal Michael Stiefel gave this game a masterpiece soundtrack that consolidates the atmosphere of each level and moment. The music reminded me at times of the great soundtrack of Wind Waker, Galaxy and Banjo. If you like Grant Kirkhope's work, he's the guest composer behind the spaceship music. Voice acting is also very funny in this game, and gives a distinct personality to each character.

Finally, Hat Kid is extremely likeable. The different flairs and outfits are fun and give her a range of cute clothes and hats to wear. She shows a variety of emotions and expressions through the game, and there's even a built-in camera mode so you can make all the smug memes you want.

Overall, this is a fantastic game.