Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an exceptionally well put together entry in the series. After Star Allies, I was concerned that HAL was going to begin churning out new mainline Kirby games. Yet here we are, on the same system, with the first mainline 3D Kirby game, and what a wonderful transition the little guy has made into this new dimension. There's work to be done, but Forgotten Land puts its best foot forward and delivers an unforgettable adventure in this evergreen franchise.
HAL could have played this one safe with its setting. Star Allies (I haven't played it so take this with a grain of salt) seemed unambitious. Typical Kirby locales, typical Kirby bosses, with just a smattering of multiplayer mayhem intended to shake things up. The New Super Mario Bros. Wii of the series, if you will. Forgotten Land's world is not generically 'Kirby'. We're not on Popstar anymore and this new world is refreshingly unique yet unmistakably still Kirby. Ruins of a lost civilization contrast against all manner of cute creatures, teasing its twisted antagonist rather early for once. Everything is beautiful, possibly the best looking game on the Switch, lending to the creation of locales that rival the series' best. There's fanservice sprinkled throughout - it's a Kirby game after all - but the game is never reliant on it. I'm overjoyed that they decided to take such a bold step with both the gameplay and the setting!
Speaking of the gameplay, Kirby plays just like you'd expect him to do in 3D. No growing pains, it just works. We lost something in the process though. While the series had been building up each copy ability's movesets over several decades, Forgotten Land unfortunately has to return to its roots and the game suffers for it. I'd estimate that each copy ability has about 3 different moves, with some exceptions having more (or even less!). This means that copy abilities can get pretty stale, especially if you're used to the fleshed out abilities of previous games. I'm sure this is something a sequel will fix, but for the time being it's a tad disappointing, even if I understand why it had to be done. Each copy ability has upgrades which give them different properties, but this never really equates to added depth.
Every level has you doing something distinct, though I can't say I found most of the level design too engaging. It was always pleasant, but I never felt it was as tight as the likes of Triple Deluxe or Planet Robobot. Thankfully, the gimmick of this game is a hit. Mouthful Mode lets you engulf everyday objects such as a car, lightbulb or even a vending machine. Again, the amount of things you can do as each one is very limited, but they never overstay their welcome and there are plenty to discover throughout the lengthy campaign.
As with every Kirby game, there's a lot of optional guff to keep you busy. Optional challenges litter each level alongside more traditional collectibles in the form of caged Waddle Dees. As a massive Waddle Dee fan, I was extremely fond of their prevalence in this game, especially the whole town dedicated to the l'il guys. There's some fun things to do there too, again making this game its entirely own thing rather than feeling like a 3D version of an already existing Kirby game.
I had a blast with this. Even if I found my focus dwindling during long play sessions, I'm on the whole pleased as punch that Kirby remains in good hands. Maybe I'm setting my hopes too high, but I expect this game's sequel to be something truly exceptional. For now, though, this'll do just fine.
HAL could have played this one safe with its setting. Star Allies (I haven't played it so take this with a grain of salt) seemed unambitious. Typical Kirby locales, typical Kirby bosses, with just a smattering of multiplayer mayhem intended to shake things up. The New Super Mario Bros. Wii of the series, if you will. Forgotten Land's world is not generically 'Kirby'. We're not on Popstar anymore and this new world is refreshingly unique yet unmistakably still Kirby. Ruins of a lost civilization contrast against all manner of cute creatures, teasing its twisted antagonist rather early for once. Everything is beautiful, possibly the best looking game on the Switch, lending to the creation of locales that rival the series' best. There's fanservice sprinkled throughout - it's a Kirby game after all - but the game is never reliant on it. I'm overjoyed that they decided to take such a bold step with both the gameplay and the setting!
Speaking of the gameplay, Kirby plays just like you'd expect him to do in 3D. No growing pains, it just works. We lost something in the process though. While the series had been building up each copy ability's movesets over several decades, Forgotten Land unfortunately has to return to its roots and the game suffers for it. I'd estimate that each copy ability has about 3 different moves, with some exceptions having more (or even less!). This means that copy abilities can get pretty stale, especially if you're used to the fleshed out abilities of previous games. I'm sure this is something a sequel will fix, but for the time being it's a tad disappointing, even if I understand why it had to be done. Each copy ability has upgrades which give them different properties, but this never really equates to added depth.
Every level has you doing something distinct, though I can't say I found most of the level design too engaging. It was always pleasant, but I never felt it was as tight as the likes of Triple Deluxe or Planet Robobot. Thankfully, the gimmick of this game is a hit. Mouthful Mode lets you engulf everyday objects such as a car, lightbulb or even a vending machine. Again, the amount of things you can do as each one is very limited, but they never overstay their welcome and there are plenty to discover throughout the lengthy campaign.
As with every Kirby game, there's a lot of optional guff to keep you busy. Optional challenges litter each level alongside more traditional collectibles in the form of caged Waddle Dees. As a massive Waddle Dee fan, I was extremely fond of their prevalence in this game, especially the whole town dedicated to the l'il guys. There's some fun things to do there too, again making this game its entirely own thing rather than feeling like a 3D version of an already existing Kirby game.
I had a blast with this. Even if I found my focus dwindling during long play sessions, I'm on the whole pleased as punch that Kirby remains in good hands. Maybe I'm setting my hopes too high, but I expect this game's sequel to be something truly exceptional. For now, though, this'll do just fine.