Kunai
A traumatic event has shaken the balance of the world. Human life has been almost wiped out by the evil A.I. Lemonkus. Robots roam free across the earth. You take control of Tabby, a killer robot infused with the soul of an ancient warrior. Start out with nothing, progress and increase in strength by killing enemy robots to unlock abilities, weapons and kick-ass ninja tricks. Explore a world filled with secrets, hidden passages and mysterious characters. KUNAI is all about movement and agility. Use your ninja mobility to reach places where no normal robot could ever go. Explore the different pixel-art environments of KUNAI, each with a minimalistic palette, while Tabby makes cute faces. Use a variety of ninja tricks to move around the world and unleash your deadly arsenal of weapons to fight your way through armies of evil machines, rogue androids, and mindless mechs to maximize your badassness.
Game Discussion
Steam User 2
---see where this game landed on my Metroidvania tier list beneath this review!---
Kunai feels like a bunch of usually open levels put together, with occasional one-way platforming segments. While it may technically be a metroidvania, there is only a little bit of backtracking. The game has surprises, with unexpected platforming segments littered throughout to mix up the gameplay a little bit, which gives it that adventure platformer feel.
I can't help but wonder if Haiku's visuals and style drew a little inspiration from Kunai, with the similar donut shaped currency and little robots. Kunai reminds me occasionally of Donkey Kong Land games for the gameboy, and segments like the airship are a clear ode to those segments in the Mario games.
The music and sound is all quite decent.
I've read the occasional review that has pretty bad information regarding the games difficulty. It wasn't that hard of a game, but people less used to certain mechanics within the platforming genre could certainly find it trickier. The difficulty felt balanced and fair throughout. The grappling hooks are very easy to use, unlike something like Rusted Moss. One reviewer cited a boss as being difficult that i killed in one try.. He obviously is unfamiliar with the concept of down-pogo (bouncing off of enemies by slashing downwards on their head), which you will get to utilise throughout the game, which I found to actually trivialise some of the early boss fights.
For endgame cleanup, it would have been handy to have fast travel. It isn't much of an issue during the main story however, because your character is quite fast and it never takes long to get from A to B. Another feature I would've liked for the endgame would be some kind of item finder to help you finish uncovering the last of its secrets.
I enjoyed Kunai, and while I found it somewhat mid given some of the great games out there, the experience was worthwhile and satisfying enough.
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My Metroidvania Tier List (excluding Metroid & Castlevania titles)
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S+ Aeterna Noctis |
S Tier (Truly Special) Astalon: Tears of the Earth | Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom | Hollow Knight |
S- Blasphemous 2 | Cathedral |
A+ Doomblade^ | Afterimage |
A Tier (Amazing) Elderand | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Environmental Station Alpha |
A- Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights | Depths of Sanity |
B+ Blast Brigade |
B Tier (Really Enjoyed) Alwa’s Legacy | Steamworld Dig 2 | Islets | Blasphemous | After Death | Pronty^ | Haak | Mortal Manor | Escape From Tethys | Treasure Adventure Game | Chasm | Monster Sanctuary | Elliot Quest |
B- Haiku, the Robot | Rabi-Ribi | Outbuddies DX | Kunai |
C+ Lone Fungus | Momodora: Reverie under the Moonlight | Ghost Song | Grime | Death’s Gambit: Afterlife |
C Tier (More or Less Enjoyed) Aggelos | Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Plague of Yamorn | Sheepo | Infernax | MF-01 Aerostrike^ | Xanthiom Zero | Carrion^ | Wuppo | Iconoclasts | Catmaze | Omega Strike |
C- Rusted Moss^ | Moonscars | The Messenger | Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth | Ato | MindSeize |
D Tier (Liked some things, but had issues) Castle In The Darkness | Alwa’s Awakening | Pharaoh Rebirth | Yoku’s Island Express | Guacamelee! 2 | Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse | Beholgar | Clunky Hero | Touhou Luna Nights | Headlander | Axiom Verge | Strider | Minoria | Souldiers | Bone Appetit | The Witch & the 66 Mushrooms | Transiruby | Destroy Space Aliens | La-Mulana | Guacamelee! | 8Doors | Gato Roboto | Super Panda Adventures | Phoenotopia: Awakening |
E-Tier (Didn't like) Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap | Ginsha | Dandara | Vernal Edge | Blaster Master Zero | Medusa | Sundered | Salt & Sanctuary | Valdis Story | Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet | Chronicles of Teddy | B.I.O.T.A. | Shadow Complex | Timespinner | Rex Rocket | Aquaria | Nyaruru Fishy Fight | Apotheon | Bad Pad | Lootbox Lyfe | Angel’s Gear | Fearmonium | Magicians & Looters | Dust: An Elysian Tale |
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