Kunai Reviews

Kunai is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Eurogamer
Top Critic
No Recommendation / Blank
Feb 10, 2020

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.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Feb 11, 2020
Kunai - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
6 / 10
Feb 11, 2020

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.

Read full review

6 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2020

The novelty of traversal doesn't last, leaving you with a generic adventure inspired by Metroid

Read full review

7 / 10
Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

USgamer
Top Critic
Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

7 / 10
Feb 6, 2020

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?

Read full review

78 / 100
Feb 6, 2020

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

9 / 10.0
Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

81 / 100
Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

PC Invasion
Top Critic
7 / 10
Feb 13, 2020

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.

Read full review

8.7 / 10.0
Feb 19, 2020

A great metroidvania game amazingly combining exploration and combat, with frenetic action, original graphics and compelling sounds.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

7 / 10
Feb 6, 2020

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

6.5 / 10.0
Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

6 / 10
Feb 24, 2020

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.

Read full review

Feb 24, 2020

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.

Read full review

Feb 6, 2020

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.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jan 21, 2017

Kunai is a wonderful game that I am sure rewards a high level of mastery over its mechanics. It looks great, sounds amazing, and plays quite well for the most part. However, the bugs I encountered and some of the lackluster designs throughout the game often made me either sleepy-bored or frustrated at being killed by events largely out of my control. It feels clunky at some points and I believe needs just a bit more refining but it is a great game underneath it all.

Read full review