Bingobell is a small indie game
studio from China that has only released one previous game, a minor VR title in
2017. In 2020, they presented a demo for their new project, Kaku: Ancient
Seal, which shows a big jump in their ambition. After several demos, major
updates, and an Early Access period, *Kaku: Ancient Seal* has turned out to be
a pleasant surprise.
Kaku: Ancient Seal takes inspiration from different games in its
visuals and gameplay, similar to Tak and the Power of JuJu and Kena: Bridge
of Spirits, with a hint of Pokémon through Piggy—a cute flying companion who
joyfully shouts his name like a question, statement, and exclamation all at
once. The mix of fighting, platforming, and puzzle-solving reminds players of
classic PS2 platformers, but with a modern look and much larger scale.
You play as Kaku, a young boy on a
quest to catch a peculiar flying pig-like creature. After colliding with an old
man, he inadvertently becomes entangled in an ancient prophecy—your typical
Chosen One scenario. To save the world, Kaku and Piggy must team up to explore
four realms in search of the Elemental Temples, which contain crucial
artifacts. It definitely has a bit of a Zelda vibe, particularly reminiscent of
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, though without the backing of
Nintendo's budget.
The story of Kaku and the
characters he encounters is one of the game’s weaker elements, though it's not
entirely lacking. Kaku is charming, and Piggy is undeniably cute with his
oversized ears, but the other characters feel flat, reduced to a single personality
trait each. The absence of voice acting contributes to their forgettability.
Additionally, Bingobell’s writing, possibly influenced by their non-native
English, gives all the characters a similar tone, turning them into a blur of
cartoonish faces.
There are four worlds Kaku will
explore, from a lush jungle to a frozen wasteland, and each of those are split
into smaller zones traversed by magical portals. They are gorgeous areas to
explore, at times looking far better looking than the game’s presumably modest
budget would suggest. It’s actually a slightly odd mish-mash of graphical
quality, because while the environments and vistas are terrific, the animations
are janky. For every cool enemy design, there’s a texture that looks out of
place.
These graphical inconsistencies are
signs of the game’s small team and small budget. Another sign is how there
isn’t a whole lot to do in the spaces given to us, either. Enemies are strewn
across the landscape like candy from a hastily opened bag of Skittles, there
are some treasure chests to find and a handful of basic side-quests, none of
which really fill the space. It gives the impression of big levels designed for
the sake of having big levels rather than because the game actually needs them.
Another area in which the game is
held back by its independent nature is the repetitive mission design. Whenever
you head to one of the four continents (you can jump freely between them, which
I love) you’ll meet a new pal, get introduced to the local bad guy or bad gal
and then head off on a series of quests, usually involving talking to someone,
jogging across the landscape, beating some stuff up and then doing it all
again.
The good news is that the gameplay
involved in doing all of that is usually rather fun, provided you can accept
its limitations. Kaku is quite handy with his club, as well as a catapult for
dealing with the game’s slim selection of enemy types from afar. There’s a
special attack that damages an enemy’s Poise meter too, which once drained
leaves them stunned. By combining the two attack types there are special moves
Kaku can unleash, many of which are dictated by his stamina bar.
I did find the difficulty balancing
to be a tad off. A lot of enemies are very easy to take down through button
mashing, but mixed amongst them are random enemies that seem to absorb damage
like a goddamn sponge. These foes look just like their comrades but will have a
much higher damage tolerance, meaning they aren’t more challenging to fight,
just more annoying.
The Poise mechanic is a nifty idea, but it doesn’t have as much impact on the
combat as I’d like. It seemed more effective early on, but as I levelled up the
damage my regular attacks did far outstripped the usefulness of Poise.
Improving Kaku to face tougher
enemies isn’t done through standard menus but by exploring a mysterious
underground area accessed through a portal. In this space, players can use
special crystals and resources to boost Kaku's defense and damage and unlock
new moves. However, to upgrade health and stamina, players must use Ruin Keys
to complete platforming and combat challenges. Successfully finishing these
challenges lets players move up to higher levels, where unlocking doors
requires more keys.
Piggy, Kaku's adorable companion,
is also important. Besides his role in the story, Piggy gives Kaku cool
abilities, like walking on water and jumping great distances. While there could
be more depth to Piggy’s powers—similar to Link’s abilities in Tears of the
Kingdom—they are still fun and add variety to the gameplay.
The game also has a gear system
that includes different types of armor, clubs, slingshots, and runestones, each
with unique benefits. Some items can only be earned by defeating bosses
multiple times, which adds an extra challenge.
In Conclusion…
Kaku: Ancient Seal feels a bit
bigger than it needs to be. While claiming over 30 hours of content might
attract players looking for value, the gameplay doesn’t fully support this. The
large environments often seem empty, featuring only occasional treasure chests
and simple quests, and the combat doesn’t evolve much, leading to repetitive
missions.
Despite its issues, Kaku: Ancient
Seal is still an impressive project. It provides an engaging experience,
especially for players who can enjoy it in shorter sessions, allowing its charm
to shine without getting tedious. The developer's ambition is commendable, as
the game is packed with content and interesting ideas. With a more focused
approach, Kaku could have reached even greater heights. As it is, Kaku: Ancient
Seal is a charming ARPG with a strong Zelda influence and a lot of heart.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
