Metroid has inspired many games, and they all balance the features of the ancient formula differently. Some focus on the magic of finding terrific maps, while others emphasize the traces of creative weapons. Kunai puts those elements to a level, but most importantly their movement. Like a robot on a tablet, you use a titular kunai to attach cables to many places; this allows you to easily turn, climb, and present yourself through enemy-occupied areas. Although this is a fun way to navigate, it is not enough to carry all the information. In the exploration, in the fight and in the battles of the generals, Kunai falls.
Tabby, your ninja-like hero, is battling a fertile world that houses most of the other machines. You get your sword and kunai almost instantly, and they are the essence of your adventure, a mix of combat from close range and acrobatic swing. The sword piercing is simple and effective, but your movement is a wet blur between Spider-Man and Doc Ock's signature styles. The game encourages you to use your momentum and multiple anchor points to work freely and precisely in a straightforward, fun way. The combination initially feels fun, but it starts to look like a gimmick as the action fails to take the concept to new heights. Aside from meeting some frustrating platforms and areas that may be stuck with your kunai, this part of your repertoire doesn't grow to meet its potential, and instead remains disappointed.
Tabby is slowly making her way to power, picking up some skills as she moves from one place to the next. Tools such as shuriken, machine guns, and double jumps are advancements, enabling us to reach new heights, but Kunai does not make the process satisfactory. Most of the things you collect to increase your arsenal feel like less power and more keys to hide. For example, your electric shuriken opens up some kind of door, but I rarely had an excuse to use that weapon for any other purpose. Shooting down with a machine gun helps you skip gaps, but is enhanced as a horrible option. This means that your skills look like they are specially designed to overcome unlimited obstacles to progress, and you don't do much to contribute to your fighting style, even if you have improved them.
Different maps have names that sound interesting, like Haunted Factory and Crypto Mines, but don't feel different enough when you're on your own. With minimalist art style and transformed colors, different areas combine over time. Moving from green space to brown area is different, but limited enemy types and sparse details have never expressed the idea of finding an unincorporated territory. The discovery is blurry in the same way, since the hidden areas you can uncover often contain just hats, which are dumb-looking jewelry. This completely kills the desire to revisit the maps once you get a new power, because you know you won't find anything useful.
Boss wars are another weak spot. Most rely more on repetition, so they become more endurance sessions than actual skill tests. In another battle, you need to climb the mountain while defending the attack to gain a few points on the boss. If you succeed, you are knocked down the mountain but repeat the process three times. After all, the next level has made you go from commander in a race to a mountain where one turn leads to one kill – and failure at any stage leads to the rest of the battle. Not all managers rely on this frustrating pattern, but they are the best; those are very simple, they serve as grounds for exploring new discoveries in the adjacent room.
With a variety of weapons, navigation enhancements, and a range of connected maps, the Kunai seems to have all the right features, but has been grouped into the perfect combination. Navigating the world is a new phenomenon, but that in itself is not enough to motivate players to the full potential of every game.
