Legend of Kay Anniversary Reviews
The return to Yenching in Legend of Kay Anniversary is not the complete package as one would've hoped for. While the adventure itself stays true to the original, it unfortunately stays too true for its own good. The faults that it contained are still prevalent in here, and the whole mechanics also feel dated and are missing that revamp that other remade platformers contain, such as Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. However, when looking past the dated mechanics and annoying camera angles, Kay's journey can be a fun little treat to spend 10 to 15 hours in, though it does require a heap of patience to be able to fully enjoy it.
If you are in the market for a good action adventure game, Legend of Kay is sadly not going to meet your expectations. It is a decent game that has aged terribly and the efforts to remaster it haven't really brought it up to the current generation standards.
As a reviewer, I've played my share of bad video games, but honestly, few had managed to infuriate me in the ways 'Legend of Kay Anniversary' did right from the get-go. There is so much wrong with this package, from the severely outdated gameplay to the poor "remastering" job to the grating voice acting, that I truly wonder why Nordic Games decided to even give this title the time of day in the first place.
Combining soothing tracks for when you're exploring, with some suitably rousing tracks when engaged in combat, Legend of Kay's music is constantly a pleasure to your ears
While Legend of Kay is improved technically, its production values, mechanics, and camera are still stuck in an uncomfortable past.
Legend of Kay Anniversary is a game you want to pay close attention to if you want to acquire the bonuses throughout the levels. It will most likely be your second or third play through before you start finishing the extra quests. This is because you will likely trigger the end of a chapter before finishing them. Is the game worth a second go-around, or even a first play? If you like cartoony platforming games that remind you of the PS1 and N64 era, then this could be your jam.
This is definitely not a bad game, but it is a very poor remaster. The intro including the tutorial is way too long, if you can survive through that ordeal, then comes a pretty decent game, mind you, from the PS2 era. The question you should ask yourself is, do you really want to play this?
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Depending on what you're looking for Legend of Kay Anniversary could be worthwhile. If you played it in its original form and have a touch of nostaglia for it or you're simply a big fan of 3D platformers, even ones that haven't necessarily mechanically ages well it has its strengths. That's not to say there's not some baggage along for the ride though, with the voice acting being a surprise out of left field. Be sure to check out some video of gameplay and read up further on it to be sure it's a good fit for you.
Legend of Kay Anniversary is a game that reminds you of the PS2 era of gaming and can be somewhat nostalgic but it also reminds you that sometimes the past isn't always the best. Neon Studios has stated that they would like to continue the Legend of Kay series in the future. If they learn from the mistakes of the this game while keeping the core gameplay then I'm sure they can make a great game.