Kunai Reviews
Thanks to some great controls and a diverse and satisfying set of weapons and tools, Kunai overcomes its weaknesses in level design to become a solid, fun platformer.
KUNAI is a fast paced metroidvania, full of action and explosions, but it's hard to find in those pixel something new and fresh.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Kunai was a title that left me excited but a bit uncertain from its PAX demo last year...
Kunai is a wonderful game and another stern reminder as to why I keep kicking myself for avoiding the Metroidvania genre for as long as I’ve had. Clearly this is a genre still in it’s renaissance period with new, inventive play styles still coming out at a decent pace and kunai is no exception to that rule. TLDR: It’s a good game. Buy it.
Kunai is, for most part, a wonderfully complex Metroidvania. The colourful artwork, smooth movement, and clever level design are some of the greatest the genre has seen, but the high difficulty of the boss encounters will prevent some players from fully enjoying this vibrant world.
On the one hand, I feel like Kunai kind of missed its mark. The game is definitely trying to be something different and set itself apart, but there are just enough pain points that it’s hard to think it really works. There’s a lot of effort to keep you engaged and offer a slight twist on the formula, but most of those twists come off as broadly neutral.
Kunai is a thoroughly fantastic game, taking some of the best elements of the genre and putting them into one parkouring package. It’s apparent that a lot of care went into fine-tuning weapons and Kunai to make your actions feel as instinctual as they are fun.
KUNAI is absolutely kinetic. Momentum, traversal, and combat are the key pillars. They all work in tandem to produce a game that moves at a frenetic pace, and one you’ve not known in a Metroidvania-style of game. TurtleBlaze have something special here, and it’s in your best interest not to miss it. KUNAI is a refreshing take on the genre, and an exciting one at that.
Maybe it's a little unfair to propose that Kunai's weaker spots are a result of the high bar games preceding it have set.
If you're looking for a classic "metroidvania" with ninja abilities, that's just what Kunai offers: explore levels, kill enemies, push switches, get new abilities, kill bosses, get to new areas... and start all over again. All with a great Game Boy visual style, but in the end, it feels a pretty conventional game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Kunai is an expressive, stylish and retro-tinged metroidvania that kept me engaged the entire time I played it. The feeling of slowly mastering the rope-kunai and being able to flawlessly swing around environments and flank enemies was incredibly satisfying. I only wish the rest of your abilities in the game had the same kind of skill ceiling to reach, because without any cool reasons to deflect bullets, why bother having the ability to do so in the first place?
Kunai does plenty of things right, but doesn't really try to stand out from the crowd in any way.
If humanity truly is destined to fall, at least a cute tablet with a sword will avenge us.
Kunai really makes a name for itself. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed adventure where you can pull off some sweet parkour moves all the while wielding Ninja weapons, I highly recommend checking out Kunai.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to figure out where you're supposed to go at times, backtracking in Kunai is a bit of a pain, and the level design doesn't offer as many branching paths as its competition. But it's worth playing through the game's short runtime and this is a great foundation for a sequel.
While it does lean a bit on the easy side, kids will love this. Kunai could easily be a defacto entry level metroidvania to introduce to children.
While it lacks the visual flair and storytelling of genre hits like Hollow Knight, Kunai is undoubtedly among my list of top games for 2020. It's polished, it's funny, and best of all, it's a great time for hours on end.
Ultimately, Kunai is a competent and attractive Metroidvania title let down by uninspired game design, underutilized mechanics, and some bugs. Still, this isn't a bad effort by TurtleBlaze. In fact, I think a sequel that learns from this game's mistakes could be a blast.
Kunai is a classic yet breathless metroidvania game, which capitalize on its strong action and fun narration. The sympathic Tabby and its variety of expressions is a bless to see, but the art direction suffers from its unflaterring minimalism, and endless boss patterns that grows on frustration.
Review in French | Read full review
Kunai is a cutesy Metroidvania title with lots of action, enjoyable gameplay and is a hell of a fun time. Sadly, the game ends way too soon, as I found myself lusting for more. A solid attempt by Turtleblaze and I'll be looking forward to their next project.