Kao the Kangaroo Reviews

Kao the Kangaroo is ranked in the 34th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
2 / 5.0
Jun 7, 2022

I really wanted to love Kao the Kangaroo. And while I did enjoy parts of it, the severe glitch I encountered kept me from progressing like I had expected to and effectively kept me from actually beating the game. Once Nintendo gets around to implementing the patch, I could potentially recommend the experience. But until version 1.2 goes live, I cannot recommend it to other platformer fans in good conscience.

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5 / 10
May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo will appeal to children and efficiently guide them through its diverse world with simple combat and puzzles. For a more mature audience, however, the mechanics will be overly primitive, and a closer look at the graphics won't please them either.

Review in Czech | Read full review

50 / 100
May 27, 2022

Kao's 2022 venture is serviceable and by-the-numbers at best. Its developers have their hearts in the right place in using this 2000s mascot in their new 3D platformer reboot, but this sure isn't even a bronze medal effort if we're being honest.

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5 / 10.0
May 27, 2022

Kangaroo Kao returns and serves us a real festival of disappointments. With the naked eye, you can see that the iconic kangaroo was not yet ready for the premiere and needs more love.

Review in Polish | Read full review

Lee Mehr
Top Critic
5 / 10.0
Jul 5, 2022

Put simply: Kao The Kangaroo gets creatively weak at the knees by the third round.

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5 / 10.0
May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo is a nice 3D platformer for getting your feet wet. The gameplay from previous entries is the same and it is easy for beginners to pick up. The graphics look good and keeping it simple fits with the game’s theme. Unfortunately, the game feels too short, ending just as it picks up momentum. Collectibles feel like unnecessary game padding, the story feels like an excuse plot, and the voice acting leaves a lot to be desired. This may satisfy fans who were looking forward to Kao the Kangaroo’s return, but there isn’t much for players who were hoping for a great, modern 3D platformer.

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May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo’s core mechanics are solid and some of the things it adds to the series, like the elemental gloves, help keep things interesting, but it’s nothing that the genre hasn’t seen before, and some of those changes end up actively taking away from the experience. There’s good to be found here, but it’s weighed down by so much jank and a lack of innovation that it doesn’t feel like the welcome back that Kao deserves.

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5.5 / 10.0
Jul 19, 2022

I know I’m not the target audience for Kao the Kangaroo, it is clearly aimed at younger players, but there is a fun time to be had. It is a shame that Kao suffers from all of the technical drawbacks. The save states simply don’t work and the graphical slowdowns make the game unplayable. Putting the bugs aside, Kao is an easy-breezy platformer that is fun to play. It might not be the most inspiring platformer out there but it is fun.

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5.5 / 10.0
May 27, 2022

My time with Kao the Kangaroo left me filled with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I enjoyed its simple yet engaging challenges and its world-building, which recalls the cartoons we watched as children. However, on the other hand, I found so many technical flaws that all the satisfaction that the game brings in its essence gave way to frustration. Perhaps with a good update, the game will get the polish it deserves. Until then, it's like a Schrodinger Game: it's both good and bad.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

5.5 / 10.0
May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo is an inoffensive and very occasionally charming platformer, but it's uninspired and incredibly rough around the edges. It might hold the attention of some younger gamers and old-school platforming fans but by that same token there are far better games out there for both crowds.

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5.7 / 10.0
Jun 6, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo is a serviceable 3D platformer. Derivative of its peers and totally indebted to them, the game has a hard time standing out, even though it offers solid, if forgettable, adventuring.

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6 / 10.0
Jun 26, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo is a classic 3D adventure platformer. Sadly, its reliance on well-trodden mechanics hinders the action. Moreover, there are better examples of the genre. However, its graphics, audio, and variety of environments are fantastic. It's a shame that the rest of the game isn't as inventive or as polished. If they were, this would have been a great game.

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6 / 10.0
Jun 1, 2022

It lacks the real quality and finesse of the top games in the genre, but it’s a bright and breezy affair that squarely falls under the classification of light entertainment.

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May 31, 2022

The Kao the Kangaroo reboot was unexpected. Although it generally follows the formula of early 3D platformers – and thus will satisfy gamers looking for nostalgic gameplay – it’s light on challenge and long on cheesy dialogue. I do appreciate what they are going for here, but the execution could have been better. Plus, the bugs make this feel like a not-quite-finished product.

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6 / 10.0
May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo is a polished platformer that, to its credit and detriment, feels like a time capsule. It's so much of a throwback that its simplistic nature is both its greatest attribute while also holding it back from being a great playing game in the year of our Lord 2022.

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3 / 5.0
May 27, 2022

There's a lot of enjoyable gameplay in Kao the Kangaroo. The level design is easily the biggest highlight, and while combat is simple, it's fun and accessible for all ages to get a kick out of.

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60%
May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo is a well-crafted game that pulls inspiration from several other platforming greats, but a lack of polish and an abundance of bugs end up dragging it down.

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May 27, 2022

Some of the collectibles can be tough to find, and the platforming puzzles are occasionally challenging. However, Kao's journey is essentially a simple adventure game in which 100% completion is easily achieved in the first playthrough. As a throwback to classic 3D platformers, Kao the Kangaroo does a good job of capturing the spirit of its predecessors, but the actual gameplay has nothing truly challenging or thrilling. Even so, Tate Multimedia has created a laid back and vibrantly colored adventure that's fun to play through casually.

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6 / 10.0
May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo offers a pretty solid platforming experience and its graphics and soundtrack offer a pleasant nostalgic experience. Its environmental design is so charming, and the characters are loveable despite their poor voice acting. However, this experience is stopped short by bugs, repetitive gameplay, and poor storytelling. With a number of fantastic 3D platformers released in recent history, it's hard to recommend Kao the Kangaroo. If Tate Interactive would have kept this game in its developmental pouch a little longer, a lot of its big issues could have easily been resolved. Heck, we already waited almost 20 years for this game, we could have waited a few more months.

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6 / 10
May 27, 2022

Kao the Kangaroo makes his big return in 2022, but the game feels like it's leapt straight out of PS2's back catalogue. Despite many rough edges and old-fashioned design principles, it ultimately succeeds in delivering a fun, breezy 3D platformer for fans of the series. It manages to evoke feelings of nostalgia despite being a brand new title with its simple gameplay and colourful worlds. It does fall apart under modern scrutiny, but it just about gets away with it, thanks to its harmlessly old-school approach.

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