Kunai

Genre: Metroidvania

Players: 1

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Review:

Kunai is a Metroidvania released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2020 that has you playing as an anthropomorphized tablet fighting robotic enemies using a katana and a pair of the titular kunai (which act like grappling hooks).

This game’s visual style is really memorable, using pixel art visuals with a low color palette that’s reminiscent of the original Game Boy, although the level of detail and animation here is of course something the Game Boy could have never been capable of. This is paired with a pretty good synthesized soundtrack (check out the songs Artificial Desert and Zen Mountains for good examples). Overall, the presentation here is great, though I will say the limited color palette, while memorable, also makes it easier for some areas to look repetitive.

When it comes to the gameplay, I feel like the one thing this game absolutely nails is movement – running around, slashing enemies, and flinging yourself around using the kunai in this game is an absolute blast, and while the kunai can certainly be tricky to use at times, once you get the hang of them they are really what elevates this game more than any other element here.

Of course, there are some flaws here. For a Metroidvania, there are definitely parts of this game that are too linear, and in particular there are auto-scroll sections that can be frustrating chores to get through. Also, there are times where the action feels just a tad too zoomed-in, such as when making some difficult jumps that turn into leaps of faith.

Still, despite some flaws, Kunai is a blast to play, and a solid entry in the Metroidvania genre. The presentation here is unique and memorable, but the real draw here is how fun it is to move around, and I’d recommend fans of Platformers and Metroidvanias specifically to definitely give it a look.

tl;dr – Kunai is a Metroidvania with visuals that look like an old-school Game Boy game and gameplay that has you swinging around using a pair of kunai grappling hooks. The game is a bit too linear at points for the Metroidvania genre and the level design can seem a bit repetitive, but the game makes up for this with just how incredibly fun it is to move around. Definitely a game to try out for fans of the genre.

Grade: B+

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2020 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Platformer

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