Kaku: Ancient Seal by developer and publisher BINGOBELL—PC(Steam) preview written by Susan N. with a copy provided by the publisher.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.
BingoBell released a charming ARPG with platforming elements in 2023 and with its interesting animated style and general game concept, Kaku: Ancient Seal is a fun game. It has some cool features like a customizable combat system, open world exploration, puzzles to solve, and food to cook. That said, it's not a game that will stand out in its genre. In fact, for many, Kaku: Ancient Seal might be considered 'just another ARPG' because it's not particularly groundbreaking.
Gameplay
In the beginning of the game, we meet an old man who sets us out on a journey to restore balance to the land by repairing the Ancient Seal. But before we can embark on this epic journey, we are introduced to basic abilities from attacks to gathering plants for cooking to collecting upgrade materials. To acquire these materials, players need to explore a vast open world and solve a series of puzzles. Each elemental region is plagued with various challenging enemies. The good news is that there are materials aplenty in order to upgrade abilities and weapons. Unlike other ARPGs where the combat system is somewhat limited, Kaku: Ancient Seal has a decent combat list, which will be covered a bit later.
Among the unique features of Kaku: Ancient Seal is the cooking. In order to heal or replenish stamina, you must have made a bunch of food at a cooking station. Like ability upgrades, herbs and mushrooms can be found in each area, thus allowing players to have enough food to heal. Although, there is a limit to how much food one can carry on their adventures, which is why there are multiple cooking stations throughout the world.
Like with many games in this genre, the story is told through dialogue. It doesn't have any voice acting to speak of, which can be seen as a downfall, but thankfully there isn't an over abundance of textboxes. Unfortunately, some of the grammar and syntax used is not great. And thankfully, it is completely comprehensible despite that fact. Overall, the game is quite enjoyable.
Combat
Like with the average RPG, there is plenty of combat to get involved in. However, unlike other RPG's, the combat system is much more varied and fleshed out. Players can boost their melee and ranged attacks as they wish. They are even given a charming pig companion that can also be leveled.
The combat tree is sprawling with different types of attacks from quick attacks to charged heavier attacks. Each attack is executed with a series of button presses like one would find in a fighting game. In order to upgrade these attacks to suit your playstyle, you will need to collect different types of materials. Materials can only be used to upgrade certain types of attacks. Players can also increase their stamina or their shield length as well.
When in combat with creatures, players will have to rely on their wits to take out their opponents. Dodging large attacks will be paramount to your survival. It's not enough to upgrade your attacks, because you'll have to keep an eye out for the opportune moment to strike.
Pros and Cons
Kaku: Ancient Seal has some decent gameplay but has its flaws. For one thing, the game's performance can be sketchy. At critical moments, the FPS can drop significantly which can turn a fight on its head. This didn't happen often, but it was enough to be noticeable.
Another strike against the game is some of the strange texture issues. I found there were points where you could fall through the world or could crash out of the game entirely. Again, this was not a regular occurrence, but it was enough to notice. While it is set in an open world, the game struggled with rendering. A point that needs to be addressed before a full release of the game.
Some of the good points of Kaku: Ancient Seal is the open world nature of the game. Unlike many games which can be quite linear in progression, players get the option to go to whichever island they would like. Players can traverse the islands filled with resources and creatures alike. Not only is there plenty of opportunity to fight opponents, but there are plenty of resources to upgrade your abilities too! It helps that there are a decent number of save points as well.
While some people might find the graphics dated, I found them to be charming. The characters are more caricature-like with heads that are larger than the body frames. Even the old man seems a bit childlike because of the animation style, which makes Kaku: Ancient Seal a little more family friendly than other ARPG's.
Final Thoughts
Kaku: The Ancient Seal is a solid ARPG with a sprawling combat system and open world nature. It is a fun title that doesn't need to be taken too seriously, and it's a fun game to play. While it is not going to destroy the competition as far as RPG's go, it's a great way to kill a few hours. With some improvements to the performance, this game can definitely be a contender in its genre after it leaves Early Access!
0 comments:
Post a Comment