A fairly decent 3D platformer overall. The graphics are one of the highlights of the game. It looks fairly on par with the recent output from Toys for Bob with similar design ethos and lighting. Kao controls fairly well but the game is really easy and the levels are a bit too straightforward.
Kao the kangaroo lacks any defining feature to make it stand apart from the competition outside of being a reboot of a fairly obscure platforming mascot from Poland. The most it has are elemental powerups that you can imbue in your boxing gloves to solve puzzles, however the elemental powers are one note and never interact together or with the environment in any creative ways. You see a button surrounded by water you hit it with the ice glove, you see a cobweb, you hit it with the fire glove. There's an air glove but it gets so little use and shows up so late that it feels weird to even include at all.
So if it's lacking in originality, it should make up for it with quality, right? Well unfortunately Kao the Kangaroo is one of the least polished games I've played in a while.
Cutscenes are awkward with stiff animation, and the bland but bearable soundtrack will often decide not to trigger, leaving the game with this awkward empty silence. The only things breaking said silence being Kao's footsteps and grunts, because the levels mostly lack any kind of ambience to set the mood outside of the music.
The game features a lot of smashing pots and crates but it felt like half the time they wouldn't shatter into pieces but would instead simply despawn after just sitting there for a second. The world was also unfortunately very transparent, literally. The game opts to use the see through trick to help with camera issues, however a lot of the world becomes semitransparent almost all the time and it really hurts the games aesthetic. It's as distracting as something can be.
I enjoyed my time with the game, but I don't think it stands out among the crowd. Kao himself has some really fun bouncy animation and movement, and if you're really into platformers it's an alright way to spend a dozen hours but I wouldn't reccommend this over many of the other 3D platformers that have come out in recent years, and especially not over the classics that defined the genre.
I got the game on a half off sale and I'd say if you want something very casual and don't mind a little blandness, the Kao reboot is an okay option for that price. I just wish I could give it a better recommendation because there's clearly a lot of talent at Tate Multimedia.
Kao the kangaroo lacks any defining feature to make it stand apart from the competition outside of being a reboot of a fairly obscure platforming mascot from Poland. The most it has are elemental powerups that you can imbue in your boxing gloves to solve puzzles, however the elemental powers are one note and never interact together or with the environment in any creative ways. You see a button surrounded by water you hit it with the ice glove, you see a cobweb, you hit it with the fire glove. There's an air glove but it gets so little use and shows up so late that it feels weird to even include at all.
So if it's lacking in originality, it should make up for it with quality, right? Well unfortunately Kao the Kangaroo is one of the least polished games I've played in a while.
Cutscenes are awkward with stiff animation, and the bland but bearable soundtrack will often decide not to trigger, leaving the game with this awkward empty silence. The only things breaking said silence being Kao's footsteps and grunts, because the levels mostly lack any kind of ambience to set the mood outside of the music.
The game features a lot of smashing pots and crates but it felt like half the time they wouldn't shatter into pieces but would instead simply despawn after just sitting there for a second. The world was also unfortunately very transparent, literally. The game opts to use the see through trick to help with camera issues, however a lot of the world becomes semitransparent almost all the time and it really hurts the games aesthetic. It's as distracting as something can be.
I enjoyed my time with the game, but I don't think it stands out among the crowd. Kao himself has some really fun bouncy animation and movement, and if you're really into platformers it's an alright way to spend a dozen hours but I wouldn't reccommend this over many of the other 3D platformers that have come out in recent years, and especially not over the classics that defined the genre.
I got the game on a half off sale and I'd say if you want something very casual and don't mind a little blandness, the Kao reboot is an okay option for that price. I just wish I could give it a better recommendation because there's clearly a lot of talent at Tate Multimedia.