Kunai Reviews
Kunai throws a grappling hook and a fair amount of style into the Metroidvania genre for a solid if not stellar example of the form.
The novelty of traversal doesn't last, leaving you with a generic adventure inspired by Metroid
Despite some tedious backtracking, Kunai's fast-paced combat and satisfying platforming are accentuated by smart level designs that make it a blast to play.
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.
The game holds itself well and is great fun, even if it lacks any real innovation. The unique weapon combinations can make each run different and interesting, but the repetitive nature of each level means that Kunai's replayability could be in doubt.
From the opening moments to the end credits, everything about Kunai just oozes charm and its movement mechanics make it a joy to play. An absolute must-play.
A competent Metroidvania with some attractive visuals and fun gimmicks, but they can't hide the fact that the game underneath is far less inspired than it first seems.
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?
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.
The Arcade Crew/Turtleblaze's Kunai is a masterclass in 2D action, and will be catnip to metroidvania platformer fans looking for their next fix.
A great metroidvania game amazingly combining exploration and combat, with frenetic action, original graphics and compelling sounds.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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 knows grappling hooks are cool, so it gives you two of them. But beyond its best feature, it's an indie adventure that falls just a bit short of its excellent peers.
Kunai does so much with so little. From the minimalist art style to the polished grappling mechanic, it's hard not to recommend this entry to fans of the metroidvania genre, or anyone looking for a fresh offering on the Nintendo Switch.
Kunai is a bite-sized Metroidvania that's well worth the pick-up for the fast, frenetic action alone. Once all the foes have been fought and the bosses have been bested, the Kunai content well has run empty.
Kunai does plenty of things right, but doesn't really try to stand out from the crowd in any way.