Kunai is a hilariously fun metroidvania for PC and Switch
Kunai is a resounding success in my book. Available February 6 on Steam and Nintendo Switch, you play as Tabby, a sentient tablet which bears the spirit of an ancient warrior. Humanity has been nearly wiped out by a rogue AI, so the world is left to the machines. Take up your katana, strap on your kunai, and join the blue-coated Resistance as you fight to avenge what was lost.
I love the metroidvania genre, having grown up with Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, both of which I contend sit among the greatest games ever made. The mashup of both franchises has established itself a firm formula over the years, providing the exploration and character progression I love in a 2D game.
TurtleBlaze, the developers behind this gem, nailed the combat and exploration elements. One of my favorite moments throughout my playthrough took place early in the game, stumbling on an enemy turret that was impervious to my attacks. Spamming the katana attack button and reflecting the bullets, it killed the foe and left me unharmed.
I’m glad I made time for Kunai. From the outset, it’s a total thrill.
As is typical of metroidvania experiences, Kunai features ongoing themes of discovery. I often stumbled on hidden troves just because I wanted to climb every wall with my trusty kunai knives. Not only is it just fun to continually explore, but each environment has unique styling, keeping you engaged as you move forward. The retro-futuristic and washed-out color palette makes Kunai instantly recognizable and memorable too.
I also really love how the game flows. Killing enemies with your katana regenerates health, and destroying them (or other objects) drops coins to purchase upgrades for abilities and weapons. Checking out unexplored parts of your map is addicting and luckily, save stations are sprinkled throughout the levels. These give you a handy checkpoint system that still requires you to play smart and carefully — dying can frequently result in a lot of wasted time backtracking.
The final signature that pulls Kunai together is the soundtrack, which hearkens back to the old arcade days. It’s there to augment the gaming experience, not draw attention to itself. Indeed, it fades into the background, and while repetitive, it doesn’t drive you to madness.
What I didn’t like about Kunai
Granted, I play on a 65 percent compact board, and the keyboard on my laptop, both naturally cramped when one hand is on QWASD/spacebar and the other on arrow keys. However, once I switched over to a controller, I had a much easier time playing Kunai.
Should you buy Kunai?
But if you’re playing the PC version, I strongly recommend using a controller. The keyboard controls just don’t feel right to me — though, like I mentioned, I play games on smaller keyboards, so I’m willing to chalk this gripe up to that. Still, I found that the controller option felt much better and more enjoyable.
Other than the odd difficulty spike, Kunai is a smooth-sailing ship. The story and levels progress nicely, and the boss battles pose a welcome challenge. I did get frustrated at points, but coming back after a break served to remind me how well-rounded this game is.
Kunai is worth the small cost to entry, so kudos to the TurtleBlaze team. Kunai is available now on Steam and Nintendo Switch, priced at $17.