Kamiko

Genre: Top-Down Action-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Kamiko is a Top-Down Action-RPG released on Nintendo Switch in 2017, ported to PC and Xbox One in 2019, and then brought to PlayStation 4 in 2020. This game has players taking the role of a priestess selected to be a warrior enlisted with fighting demons and securing portals to the world that they have captured.

The presentation here is simple, but good, featuring nostalgic 2D pixel art visuals and a catchy chiptune soundtrack. The look and sound of this game loosely resembles classic 2D Zelda games, which suits the gameplay here well.

As for that gameplay, Kamiko is a great deal more straightforward and linear than Zelda, leaning heavily toward the “Action” side of Action-RPG. Players explore multiple levels, and in each level they must discover hidden chests with keys that lead towards four portals, each of which must be “cleansed” before heading to the exit, fighting a boss, and proceeding to the next area.

The combat here is good, with players getting their choice of three characters, each with a sufficiently different form of attack. Enemies are generally simple enough, but with enough variety to keep things interesting, and players are encouraged to fight to collect energy needed to open chests and unlock portals. The bosses here are pretty good too, with some good design about on par with the sort of bosses you’d find in classic Zelda games, albeit a bit on the easy side.

However, fighting enemies is largely secondary here to exploring the self-contained levels in search of the aforementioned chests and portals, and it can be a bit frustrating if you’ve missed one last thing that you just can’t seem to find, requiring you to run around the level fighting the constantly-respawning enemies until you find the spot you overlooked.

Really, that’s not a major complaint though. If I had to point to Kamiko’s biggest flaw, it’s that the game feels a bit on the shallow side. You’re more or less running through the same action loop in each level, and your character’s abilities never grow or progress, you only get more life and a bigger special meter. And while Kamiko is still an enjoyable game, it feels like something that could have been the basis for a more substantial experience.

However, for the low price of $5, Kamiko can get away with being a somewhat shallow experience. Simply put, while Kamiko may remind you of Zelda, it’s nowhere close to the depth or variety an average Zelda game has to offer. However, it’s still a fun and simple experience that’s worth its low price tag, and fans of Action-RPGs looking for something that doesn’t require too much thought will likely enjoy this game.

tl;dr – Kamiko is a Top-Down Action-RPG that puts players into the role of a shrine maiden transformed into a demon-fighting warrior. This game looks superficially a lot like Zelda, but provides a much more simple experience. While it’s a bit shallow, this is still a pretty fun experience, and well worth its tiny $5 price tag.

Grade: B

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