Kao the Kangaroo Xbox Series X Review

One of my earliest childhood memories is of playing Spyro the Dragon back on the PlayStation One. Since then, I’ve always found myself partial to charming 3D platformer series such as Crash the Bandicoot, Super Mario, Banjo-Kazooie, and so on. That’s a big reason why I was so excited when the new Kao the Kangaroo title was first announced. While I missed out on playing the original games when they originally came out, the second I saw Tate Multimedia’s attempt to revive the series I knew I had to go all in on it.

Kao the Kangaroo sets you on an adventure to discover what happened to your family. Your father disappeared and shortly after your sister left to try and find him. When neither returns, you decide to venture after them despite the disapproval from your mother. From there, Walt, a Koala who runs your village’s dojo, guides you on your quest. Overall the writing is exactly the kind of cheesy you would expect from a 90s 3D platformer, and the voice acting backs it up in all of its awkwardness. But there is a certain amount of charm to this direction, it reminded me of playing the Spyro games back when I was a kid. So, while there certainly won’t be any awards given for the writing or performances, there’s still enough of a reason to prevent people from skipping all of the cutscenes. Just go into the game expecting a rather run of the mill story about magical talking boxing gloves and missing family, and enjoy the cheese served on the side.

The gameplay on the other hand carries the game. The repetitive level design makes a lot of the game feel rather predictable, to the point where you could clear 90% of the game and collectibles without looking very hard or even using a guide. The gameplay was able to keep me invested besides this, even if it is a tad simple in practice. You have one button to throw punches, then when your combo gauge fills up, you can unleash a finisher move. Now combat isn’t a huge part of the game, there’s a few small to medium sized fights per level, but they’re spaced out in a way that keeps you on your toes. The rest of the gameplay is centered around the exploration and collecting. If you aren’t already a fan of collectathons,I don’t think Kao the Kangaroo is going to change your mind at all. But if you do enjoy this style of game, I think Kao offers just enough to keep itself interesting, From the standard coins, to diamonds, to the runes you need to unlock further levels, there are a large variety of treasures for you to hunt in every level.

Kao the Kangaroo is a welcome blast from the past. It’s pure nostalgia at its core, not just for the series but for the very genre. Whether or not that will be enough to keep you invested fully depends on your affinity with its inspirations. Regardless, I believe that Kao the Kangaroo is a worthy 3D platformer with something to offer players of all ages

Price: $29.99

Developer: Tate Multimedia

Publisher: Tate Multimedia

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch