Kalimba is a gorgeous looking game on Xbox One. Sure, the game itself has been out for a little while now, but with a new content update days away that features a number of new stages I thought it was fine time I put my feelings on the game to paper… Err, blog.
This isn’t the first outing from studio Press Play, but it just might be their best so far. The studio previously brought us Max: The Curse of Brotherhood back in 2013 and received mixed reviews with critics. Kalmiba takes a lot of what they learned there to create something quite special. Not only that, but Press Play is now a Microsoft owned studio which means not only will they get a bigger push, but a lot of solid support.
While Kalimba may look like your standard platformer (something we are in desperate need of as it stands), it holds so much more just under it’s beautiful art style. The first thing you will note is just how colorful everything is in Kalimba. But the details don’t stop at just the graphics, as even something as simple as the start menu gets a cute touch with a bit of an interactive musical element. As a musician myself, I spent far too long just playing around on the menu screen.
After picking your jaw up off the floor from the graphics (Seriously, I’m so happy to see a game that doesn’t look like its been rolled in the mud) you’ll be treated to some pretty innovative gameplay. You are going to be getting a really fun puzzle platformer that beautifully walks the line between frustrating, challenging, and incredible fun. Instead on being in control of a single character, on a single plane like most platformers, you’ll be taking control of two characters at the same time on two separate planes.
The game is set up so that you control both characters at the same time, and the fact that they are on different planes will lead to some mentally stimulating puzzles. Not only will you have to contend with two characters dealing with various platform elements that are different of either plane, but color also plays a factor. Each character has a specific color, one is green while the other purple to begin with, but more are available. This color element is important because the game will add a number of game elements to keep you on you toes.
There will be times when a character will only be able to pass through their color liquid lest they be killed. Not only that, but the game will keep throwing new methods of play as you progress so that the game never quite settles into a predictable groove. It seems like every few stages the game will toss something new at you so. You’ll be able to teleport between planes to get past obstacles, stack up with your partner like a totem pole, alter gravity to avoid dangers, deal with environmental hazards, and take on some incredibly fun boss battles. It’s all done so well and actually encouraged me to use my Upload feature on the Xbox One for the very first time.
Kalimba also offers up a pretty fun story to all this action that actually is steeped in some fairly deep lore. The whole premise revolves around collecting totem pieces that were scattered by an evil Shaman. The good Shaman that lived on the island of Kalimba did her best to protect the totem, but she was killed in the encounter. But this isn’t the end of our story as her spirit survives and takes control of the games two playable characters and tasks them with collecting the pieces. It’s good silly fun and offers up enough charm to have you keep coming back.
Not only that, but the game itself breaks the fourth wall from the moment you get started. Your guide on this adventure is Hoebear, a magical guide bear in 80’s shades that talks directly to the player and the characters. It’s a very well written story and it’s just so dang charming from top to bottom. Press Play has also included a number of additional game modes that will add some longevity to the game. There is a two-player mode, but instead of each controlling a single character, you’ll be handling four characters at once. It makes for some really frantic gameplay that is sure to keep friends and couples on their toes.
It’s hard to find that many faults with Kalimba, but if there is one it’ll be in the games difficulty. While the game may look like a casual game from first impressions, it isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s not on the level of “I Wanna Be The Guy,” but youwill be seeing death on a regular basis. Still, death won’t mean “Game Over” as a death will only take you back a few feet. The only time death goes against you is at the end of stage when your deaths are subtracted from your score. While I did get frustrated with Kalimba, I found myself having a lot of fun of fun learning patterns and getting better.
It’s not always nowadays that a game forces you to get better to complete its single player component, so it’s a refreshing experience. Kalimba is a gorgeous game that harkens back to a time where games made you earn a victory instead of holding your hand to the finish. Kalimba is priced at $9.99 and for that price you really can’t go wrong.
(Review code provided by publisher)
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