14 DAY TRIAL // A group of flame-breathing small dinosaur-like creatures has surrounded my character. I quick shield strike stuns two of them, and a few rapid combos manage to eliminate a third. I dodge around while doing this but they still manage to land a few hits before I finish them off.
Thankfully, I cooked a lot at the special altar, as well as boosting my health, so I eat something and I’m ready to explore a little more. I should be technically searching for a temple in a quest to bring balance back to the world but I am more interested in seeing what this desert world has to offer.
I want to get into one of the ruins next, which tend to have environmental puzzles that are just hard enough to force me to focus but not enough to become frustrating. Or maybe I will simply cruise around, getting more resources and fighting with enemies in their camps. Saving this fantasy universe will have to wait a little.
KAKU: Ancient Seal is developed and published by Bingobell. The game is now in Early Access on Steam. This is a third-person action-adventure with good mechanics and an interesting universe.
Our young hero is the only one able to explore four continents, locate specific temples built by an ancient civilization, and then use his abilities to restore the balance of the world. He travels with a flying piglet that happens to be pink and many of his enemies similarly have cartoon-like designs.
The four biomes include a volcano that’s ready to blow, a desert, a swamp, and a tundra. Players will always see their character from the third-person, with pretty classic mechanics for exploration and combat.
Our hero can sprint and double jump to reach every corner of an environment and the pig offers a disguise ability (yes, it’s as weird as it sounds). In combat, a shield bash and a quick dodge make it relatively easy to deal with enemies as long as you keep their attack patterns in mind.
During exploration, players will also find the entrance to ancient ruins. They are separate instances that test puzzle-solving and ability use. It takes a little time to get a clear idea of the objective but they do manage to break up the action and force players to use all their skills.
Also, make sure to pick up all materials you come across in the world. They are used to create food, improve combat power, and gain extra health and stamina. Players also have a big three with abilities to unlock.
The mechanics mix well and I like the overall light tone of the game. But I do think that it needs to innovate more in terms of challenges and especially combat to keep gamers engaged for longer periods.
KAKU: Ancient Seal offers a lot of graphical detail, especially once the player gets to one of the four big continents. A little more weirdness for the enemies and world layout would have been welcome. But this is a colorful world and the idea of fun is emphasized by the soundtrack and the rest of the sound design.
Conclusion
I like the mix of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. Everything is well-implemented and the four continents offer variety. KAKU: Ancient Seal’s narrative is good enough to hook players who will then spend hours exploring the world and helping it regain balance.
A preview key was provided by the publisher
