Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first pull of River Redirect is that it does not waste time pretending to be a fresh start. It continues after Bulb Valley, so you can settle straight back into The Maw‘s puzzle-adventure rhythm rather than learning an unrelated set of ideas. That makes the DLC most welcoming when the previous chapter is still fresh in your mind.

The new material centers on puzzles and on the powers associated with Gastro and Puff-Tor. That is the right focus for an add-on: it gives you more situations to think through using creatures that already belong in this world, rather than padding the continuation with a detached side activity. If those creature-driven puzzle interactions were what kept you moving through the main game, this is the part that will click.

The returning Brute Bounty Hunter adds a clear thread of pursuit to the proceedings. More importantly, the DLC has a reason to exist beyond a score chase, with new achievements sitting alongside new puzzles and cinemas. You should go in wanting another chapter of The Maw, not a radically different game; on those terms, its continuation-minded design is easy to appreciate.

Graphics

New cinemas give River Redirect a few extra authored moments between its puzzle challenges, while Gastro, Puff-Tor, and the Brute Bounty Hunter remain the recognizable creature faces of this chapter.

Story

River Redirect continues the story after the Bulb Valley level, which gives it more narrative purpose than a disconnected bonus map. It is built for someone who wants to know what comes next, not merely someone collecting another batch of challenges.

The Brute Bounty Hunter’s return is the most concrete story hook. Since the character was introduced in The Maw: Brute Force, bringing that threat back helps this DLC feel tied to the wider run of add-ons rather than isolated from it.

New cinemas carry the continuation forward, but this is still a puzzle-focused piece of DLC. The story works best as momentum between obstacles: enough reason to continue, without displacing the creature-based problem solving that defines the experience.

Overall Experience

River Redirect is a solid continuation for anyone who reached Bulb Valley and was not ready to leave The Maw. It has the sensible priorities of a good add-on: more puzzles, more use for familiar creature powers, a returning adversary, and a few new cinematic beats.

Its limitation is also its recommendation. You need to already be on board with The Maw‘s offbeat puzzle-adventure style, because this chapter extends that style rather than reworking it. If the prior material felt charming and satisfying, the return of Gastro and Puff-Tor is a genuine invitation; if it did not, these additions are unlikely to change your mind.

For the right fan, the payoff is straightforward and worthwhile: another story beat after Bulb Valley, another encounter with the Brute Bounty Hunter, and more puzzles built around the creatures that make this series distinctive. It is a focused follow-up rather than an essential reinvention, but it knows exactly who it is for.

Retro Replay Score

6.8/10