Kao the Kangaroo™ is back! This time with a brand new adventure. The bravest kangaroo is ready to pick up his boxing gloves and K.O. his way through this epic journey. Take on this 3D platforming challenge – and help him succeed!
Kao the Kangaroo is a 3D platformer from Tate Multimedia that is set to be released in Summer 2022 for the PC, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. I saw this beta on the Opera GX “upcoming games” tab and I had to try it out: its been a while since we’ve had a new platformer.
What’s Under the Hood?
Tate Multimedia is using Unreal Engine 4 and produced a fantastically vivid game with it. Visually, the art style they are going for is a bit like Fortnite and Crash Bandicoot: heavily exaggerated and also very cartoon-y. I like what I see since I am a big sucker for this type of art style.
The controls are a bit floaty and could use a little tightening up. Air controls worked well though, and the shadow indicator is a tried-and-true way to determine where Kao can land. The combat, while standard, mixes the classic idea of a 3-hit-combo with a fill-the-meter finisher. The result is combat that grooves without becoming monotonous.
I’ll be the first to say that this game is in beta for good reason. Some of the mechanics are still in need of refinement: the bounce-pad element comes to mind, often failing to, well, bounce. This makes areas and collectables that rely on such pad to be more annoying than anything. The voice acting in the game is also a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully these shortcomings can be improved before the release in the summer.
Overall Rating
My time with Kao the Kangaroo was short but fun. The visuals pop with a cartoon energy that makes this kind of platformer engaging. While the controls, voice acting, and other elements still need to be polished out, Kao the Kangaroo is in the running for a satisfying full release. I would recommend putting Kao the Kangaroo on your wishlist and watching to see how it turns out. With no price tag listed yet, it has the potential to be worth it.
