2 
0 Ever wondered what it was like being a Master Leaf Blower? Well thanks to developers, Frix, now you can live out those dreams. Released on November 25th into Early Access, charge your batteries, grab your rake and get ready for an epic journey across multiple locations.
Blow. Harder!
Being a game in early access means that as it progresses towards a full 1.0 release the game can change. What we are doing now is taking a snapshot of what the game delivers. And boy does it deliver.
Gameplay
Master Leaf Blower starts off strong. Jumping into the game you are greeted with an awesome introduction. All delivered in a sweet comic book-style story. The story tells of a leaf blower who hands over the reins to you, an ordinary hobo on the streets. It’s time to get your hi-viz, charge your batteries and get ready to blow leaves away.
Your main aim through the game is to complete jobs throughout different city locations. From the Docks to the Offices, just earn enough money to purchase a specific item and away you go. Jump in your van, and play a short mini-game where you avoid obstacles and dangers. All whilst trying to keep the bags of leaves you’ve collected in the back. You are rewarded for each bag still in the van when you reach your destination. It’s a nice way of building up your money.
There a couple of other locations to check out. The Shop, is the best place to purchase upgrades, from a rake to better batteries for your Leaf Blower. Then you have BBB Auto where, upon earning enough money, you can upgrade your van to a nice shiny new one. Finally, you have the Bath, leaf blowing is a sweaty profession and you need to keep yourself fresh. Keep an eye on the Stink ‘O’ Meter and wash before you get too far towards the Bad end.
Expectations
Being a game called Master Leaf Blower, you would think that your whole time is spent blowing leaves. Well, you would be partly right. Most levels play out in a similar way, blow stuff towards your truck. However, there are a few other things to be aware of. There is trash to pick up, planters to upright as well as a few interactions with some other NPC characters.
There is also a selection of levels where you have to blow some ducks. Or at least you need to reposition your ducks into another container using the power of the wind to aid you. Which as you can imagine made me smile a hell of a lot. They were tricky things, but when compared to the leaves, were straightforward. The game is heavily physics-based and as soon as you start trying to move leaves around and manipulate them you realise just how much of a challenge this is going to be. So be tactical, plan your route, and blow those leaves away.
There are a number of areas that are not quite ready to be tidied. Mainly because they are locked! When they become available you can be assured that we will update this preview to let you know what we thought.
Graphics & Audio
Master Leaf Blower looks the part. The leaves and environments are beautifully rendered, and the physics in action is a joy to watch. Getting a big pile of leaves flying down an alley like a great wave was so much fun. Even the ducks with their little beady eyes staring at you were brilliant.
Menus pop due to the comic book-style presentation and even the cut scenes offer something new. Although I have to admit that my favourite bit of the graphics side was the street mural of the Joker. One point that irked me was that your leaf blower seemed to just float in the air. There is quite clearly a handle, but no hand holding that.
The Audio is spot on, you get the feel everything has come from a cartoon, with little sound effects popping now and again. Yet with the seriousness of the whirr of your machinery ensuring you know when you have activated your leaf blower.
Longevity
As with all Early Access games, Master Leaf Blower is limited. Don’t let that fool you though, for the price (£8.50 at the time of writing) there is a decent amount of content. Probably a good 4-5 hours worth if you start to enjoy. Even more, if you aim for the gold medals for each level. Thankfully the game is a lot of fun to play so it never feels too taxing.
Final Thoughts
So far, so good. Master Leaf Blower is already one of my favourite games of the simulation genre. Hitting the joys I have experienced playing games like PowerWash Simulator and DIG VR. The game shows great potential and even with the new areas coming at some point we know that at least the aliens are watching. Yes, aliens are in there.
So we will keep our eyes on this one as it develops through Early Access and keep this preview updated with new information. Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
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