Kamiko
- June 26, 2019
- Kan.Kikuchi
- 4h median play time
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Kamiko" is a fantasty hack and slash game with a twist, where you play as priestesses battling demons and solving puzzles in stages inspired by Japanese Shinto beliefs. With its splendid gameplay, beautiful visuals, and good music, players must find ways to break magically sealed gates in each stage to progress to the boss. Created by indie game developer SKIPMORE, Kamiko offers a fun and easy arcade action experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixel art and a charming soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers three distinct characters with different play styles, adding some replayability despite the short length.
- Boss fights are enjoyable and provide a unique challenge compared to the otherwise simple combat.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with many enemies behaving similarly and puzzles being overly simplistic.
- The game is very short, typically taking around 30-90 minutes to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
- There are technical issues, such as frame rate sensitivity and unresponsive controls on PC, which can hinder the experience.
- gameplay77 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and short duration, typically lasting around 40 minutes, which some players find repetitive and lacking in replayability. While the mechanics are straightforward and responsive, allowing for speedrunning and featuring three distinct characters, the overall experience is hindered by a lack of depth and variety in gameplay elements. Despite its appealing visuals and soundtrack, many reviewers feel that the gameplay does not fully support the game's audiovisual presentation, resulting in a mediocre experience.
“The gameplay is tight and reminds me of old games that I played as a child.”
“It's cute, fast-paced, the combo game is great, and the music and gameplay feel satisfying.”
“The game has beautiful but simple pixel art, simple but effective gameplay, a lovely cast of characters each with their own unique attacks, and an amazing soundtrack to boot!”
“The game is not terrible; it just doesn't have much to offer gameplay-wise and support its audiovisual presentation, ultimately resulting in an unfortunate mediocre experience.”
“But the gameplay, while very short, fails to keep your attention through the journey and does not offer much replayability either.”
“Even with three characters, the four stages are exactly the same per character and the only puzzle mechanics take away your ability to attack, so you'll mostly be playing the game the same way three times.”
- music52 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers describing it as fantastic, beautiful, and fitting for the game's aesthetic. While some players note that music isn't the primary focus of gameplay, they still appreciate the catchy and enjoyable soundtrack that complements the visuals and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's charm and appeal.
“The music, the gameplay that allows speedruns, the graphics and the power-ups (along with the secrets in-game) are amazing, the theme of the game is also relaxing and beautiful.”
“This game is really cute, gameplay is tight, and the soundtrack is wonderful!”
“The game has beautiful but simple pixel art, simple but effective gameplay, a lovely cast of characters each with their own unique attacks and to end it off with an amazing soundtrack to boot!”
“I did like the music, but games aren't played for the music.”
- graphics43 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful pixel artwork and nostalgic retro aesthetic, with many reviewers highlighting the smooth animations and appealing visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some note that the graphics are simple, they are considered well-executed and contribute significantly to the game's charm, making it a standout feature despite criticisms of the gameplay's challenge level. Overall, the visuals are described as fantastic, with a strong emphasis on the game's artistic style and atmospheric elements.
“The graphics and music are absolutely fantastic, and the bosses are pretty fun, albeit a bit easy.”
“Kamiko, symbolic of the Japanese indigenous religion 'kami-no-michi', undeniably takes its 2D inspiration from classics such as 'The Legend of Zelda', gloriously showcasing smooth pixel art and subtle weather effects that truly elevate the art style.”
“I'm loving the art style.”
“Simple artwork.”
“The gameplay graphics are outdated yet colorful and well done.”
“Kamiko briskly frees the Zelda-inspired curse surrounding its pixelated torii, yet remains shackled to uninspired gameplay that never divulges into its Shinto-inspired aesthetic.”
- replayability20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers some value through multiple characters and achievements, many players find the short length (around 40-60 minutes) and repetitive gameplay limit its long-term appeal. It may be enjoyable for speedrunners and achievement hunters, but those seeking a deeper experience may find it lacking. Overall, it caters more to players looking for quick runs rather than extensive replayability.
“This is a very short but very replayable game.”
“Replayability value is there mostly if you want to complete all the achievements (at this point I've only got one left before getting to 100%).”
“Though short, the additional characters add replay value, and the built-in timer features make clear that Kamiko was designed for speed-running.”
“But the gameplay, while very short, fails to keep your attention through the journey and does not offer much replayability either.”
“The gameplay is very repetitive, not to mention the game is only about an hour long with little replayability.”
“I would definitely recommend this game for starting speedrunners for its short length, minimal dialogue, and fast and fluent gameplay; but if you are a one-and-done type of person, you'll be finished with this in about an hour, and the three characters don't really offer much in replayability from the different movesets.”
- story18 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and repetitive, with players noting that it can be completed in about thirty minutes and lacks depth, dialogue, or lore. While some find the straightforward narrative acceptable, the overall experience is described as lacking substance, with different characters offering no significant variation in the storyline.
“Really easily digestible and straightforward story, with very fast-paced Zelda-esque gameplay.”
“...having said that, the story itself can be accomplished in approximately thirty minutes.”
“Dialogue, lore, or even a story could have helped this game.”
“With the option to play the story again with three different characters, at most the player will expend two hours on the entire repetitious experience of Kamiko.”
“Do note though that the storyline is almost completely non-existent.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly when searching for numerous switches. Despite this, the gameplay remains satisfying and addictive, and many feel the game's reasonable price offsets the grind required to achieve completion.
“It starts to become a tedious task while walking around the map to find the 50th switch you need to press.”
“It's easy, repetitive, and grindy.”
“Although the game is short (not including grinding all the achievements), its gameplay is very satisfying and addictive, and the price is very reasonable.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highlighted by its cute art style and adorable character designs, which contribute to an engaging and enjoyable experience. However, the reviews do not provide specific insights into the depth or growth of the characters themselves.
“Cute art, good soundtrack, adorable character design, and fun, simple mechanics.”
