Kao the Kangaroo takes me again a number of console generations. There was a time period within the late ‘90s to mid 2000s the place each recreation console received a dozen or extra 3D platformers. They featured all types of mascots and their high quality ranged from top-tier to semi-broken and unplayable. Kao the Kangaroo fell into the center floor – not nice, however positively not unhealthy.
The unique Kao first got here out on the Sega Dreamcast. Whereas this model didn’t fairly stick for me, 20 years later the builders behind the franchise determined to provide it a full reboot. It will not be good or actually harking back to that period of 3D platformers, however Kao the Kangaroo does sufficient to be a enjoyable suggestion.
The very first thing that pops out once you play Kao the Kangaroo is its artwork fashion. This recreation doesn’t attempt to conceal its inspiration in any respect. For those who play the latest recreation within the Crash Bandicoot collection, then every little thing in regards to the visuals of this recreation will look acquainted. That’s not a nasty factor, because the artwork fashion actually does an important job at not solely making the sport really feel fashionable but additionally recent. Not many video games have used this artwork fashion since Crash Bandicoot 4, so it’s good to see one other 3D platformer use it.
One other factor about Kao the Kangaroo is that it’s easy. Not like the beforehand talked about Crash Bandicoot collection, which prides itself on robust challenges and even more durable platforming, Kao the Kangaroo takes a neater strategy. No 3D platforming part feels unimaginable and even that tough. I managed to play by a big part of the sport, together with a number of bosses, earlier than ever dying (and that was solely as a result of I wasn’t paying consideration throughout a specific part of the sport). It’s a considerably refreshing change; I don’t want each 3D platformer to attempt to be the following Darkish Souls.
General, what you get out of Kao the Kangaroo is a fairly prolonged and enjoyable expertise. I didn’t 100% the sport, nevertheless I managed to finish the principle story in about 10 hours. Every of the completely different worlds you go to has distinctive surroundings that modifications issues up and stops the sport from feeling boring.
That mentioned, Kao the Kangaroo does have a few points. Like I discussed above, Kao the Kangaroo is just not laborious. This isn’t essentially a nasty factor, nevertheless it can affect replayability. It’s straightforward to see and gather each single factor on supply throughout your first play by, that means that when you full the sport there’s no purpose so that you can return and play it once more. It additionally means you’ll by no means really feel actually challenged whereas taking part in. It’s not an enormous destructive, it’s simply one thing which may affect your total feeling of the title.
One other difficulty has to do with the general high quality. As I discussed, Kao the Kangaroo harkens again to the glory days of platforming. These video games may very well be a variety of enjoyable however probably the standard and polish you have been on the lookout for wasn’t there. This model of Kao the Kangaroo has that very same difficulty. For instance, it’s not unusual for enemies, as soon as they’ve been killed, to easily fall down and come out of existence like there’s animations which can be lacking. It’s additionally not unusual so that you can punch a crate filled with cash and that crate doesn’t open. It’s not game-breaking by any means, nevertheless it’s these particulars that separate it from different higher titles. Plus don’t get me began on the voice appearing on this recreation. It’s actually, actually, actually unhealthy and but I can’t inform if that was intentional or unintended.
One final thing that must be talked about is the utterly damaged save system. In brief, the sport by no means saves. Regardless of boasting an autosave characteristic, there appears to be a glitch that stops the sport from ever saving when you attain the primary space. Which means that regardless of how far you progress or what you do, for those who exit the sport you lose your entire progress. The developer mentioned that this was an unintended difficulty and could be mounted in a patch, nevertheless that patch has but to come back and the builders haven’t offered an replace on its arrival.
Remarkably this difficulty didn’t have an effect on me however solely as a result of I put my recreation in sleep mode whereas taking part in it by for evaluation. After my evaluation was completed, I closed the sport and went to revisit it a number of days later solely to search out all my saved progress had been misplaced. In the end, this difficulty will have an effect on you for those who select to stop whereas taking part in, so be ready for that difficulty.
In the long run, Kao the Kangaroo is a enjoyable reboot that ought to get your consideration. The save-system bug apart, Kao the Kangaroo is an easy and enjoyable 3D platformer that anybody can take pleasure in. Sure, it doesn’t present a lot of a problem and when you’ve performed by you’ll have seen every little thing on supply. You’re not getting the following Mario Odyssey-like recreation by way of high quality; it’s clearly a developer making an attempt to punch increased than it might probably actually go. That mentioned, the sport itself is a variety of enjoyable and a refreshingly straightforward tackle the style. For those who’re on the lookout for your subsequent easygoing platformer or simply one thing that anybody within the household can take pleasure in, it is best to try Kao the Kangaroo.
