Preview code provided with many thanks to Press Engine.
Bounce Back
I never played the original Kao the Kangaroo series. It felt to me like one of those 3D platformers that was released in the 2000s that just didn’t get as much attention as more popular characters in the genre. But it must have had a devoted fan base as the game would receive two sequels and some spin-off titles on handheld devices. Clearly, there’s still plenty of love for Kao, as some keen developers have decided to bring the character back for a brand new game with a fresh coat of paint to the graphics and the gameplay. This game has the same title name but it’s more of a brand new entry in the series instead of a remake. The developers kindly let us sample a demo of one of the levels so we could share some thoughts of this work in progress.
Jump and Punch
The demo begins with the main character Kao taking a tumble and making a cheesy reference to YouTube (known as RooTube in this gaming realm). Instantly my eyes rolled so far into my head I almost fell off my chair. But once I started playing the game I was pretty blown away with how good it played.
The goal of the level is to simply find your way to the end by jumping across various platforms and stopping to beat up the odd baddie with your special boxing gloves, passed down to you from daddy kangaroo. Controls feel incredibly smooth. Running and jumping around the world feels great and the combat has a satisfying one, two punch to it (pun intended). After a few hits, you can also land a devastating blow in slow motion which is very satisfying. The level design is a nice balance of platforming and combat, but, additionally, you’ll be collecting silly amounts of collectables like coins, gems, letters and heart pieces to upgrade your health.
New Coat of Paint
The graphics are lovely. This is quite the upgrade from the original title which was more polygon-based. Character models are much smoother and the level design feels alive and vibrant with flowing streams, sticky swamps and plenty of jungle-like foliage. I briefly mentioned the voice acting which is pretty cheesy. The voice actor for Kao kinda sounds like some famous personality on YouTube with his over the top positive attitude to the world. It’s kinda take it or leave it but only presents itself in small snippets.
Old Days Refined
When I completed the demo it felt quite reminiscent of the first Jak and Daxter on PS2. And this is not a negative comparison. The frame rate of the game felt silky smooth, the controls were tight for jumping and combat and there was this sorta cinematic feel to exploring the level and trying to find every secret possible. This also seemed to be one of the first games I played recently with my now seven-week-old child on my knee and even he was occasionally giggling at the spectacle on-screen, that or it was wind. Either way, Kao looks like a great game to sit down and enjoy with your kids. There is no co-op (as far as I’m aware) but I can see it being fun laughing at the cheesy voice acting and pointing where to go on screen.
A Great First Impression
Kao the Kangaroo left a really good first impression on me, despite only playing a single level. This is the first demo in a while that I played multiple times as I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay. That and I also picked up the previous games on PC to see what all the fuss is about. This feels like the title where Kao leaps from forgotten classic to a wider audience. I very much look forward to its final release.
Kao the Kangaroo is coming to Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.