Kao the Kangaroo: Mystery of the Volcano (2005 re-release)
- April 27, 2023
- Tate Multimedia
Get on Steam"Kao the Kangaroo: Mystery of the Volcano" is a 3D platformer game where players control Kao, a brave kangaroo on a mission to save his homeland from an erupting volcano. The game boasts a vast game world with diverse gameplay, including various challenges and interactions with in-game characters. It offers players the freedom to revisit locations and replay missions, ensuring a fun and engaging experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a beautiful atmosphere with charming level design and nostalgic elements that remind players of their childhood.
- Despite its short length, the game offers a fun experience for fans of the Kao series, with some enjoyable gameplay moments.
- The music and sound effects are well-received, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable gaming experience.
- The game suffers from poor controller support and awkward controls, making character movement frustrating and unresponsive.
- Many players found the game to be too short and lacking in content compared to its predecessors, feeling more like an expansion than a full sequel.
- There are numerous technical issues, including graphical glitches, poor translations, and the absence of voice acting, which detract from the overall experience.
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as mystical and relaxing, contributing to a chill atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. However, some users note a lack of variety in the soundtrack, and while the sound effects are satisfactory, the absence of voice acting is mentioned as a drawback.
“The creatures you fight, the locations you visit, and the music is all very mystical!”
“Anyway, as far as gameplay goes, this is a very relaxing game, pretty chill atmosphere, relaxing music, pretty easy gameplay for the most part, this game is an enjoyable journey.”
“The respective soundtrack has almost no variety.”
“The music and sound effects work just fine, but there are no voices!?”
“The soundtracks, even though there are only a few, are kind of alright.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized as mediocre, with many noting that they feel outdated even for a title from 2005. Reviewers pointed out issues such as graphical glitches, poor lighting effects, and a lack of updates or enhancements since the original release, contributing to an overall disappointing visual experience.
“A mediocre game with bad humor, mediocre graphics, bad story, bad controls, and mediocre gameplay.”
“Graphics even for 2005 are kind of mid; the lighting in nighttime is bad.”
“No pelicans except for the 3 that you can interact with (excluding the one that fell), graphics didn't change, there's no house next to the motorboats path anywhere, on the plane there are no reflections, and I'm pretty sure the sunsets are not that fast in-game.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as inconsistent, with some players finding it unintentionally funny due to poor writing, grammar errors, and absurd plot points, such as a character with wings falling into a volcano. While some appreciate the comedic elements, others criticize the overall quality of the humor as mediocre and poorly executed.
“The plot has never been Kao's strong spot, but the fact that the bird dude fell into the volcano and that's the whole plot is really funny to me. Dude, you have wings! Fly out! You flew in Kao 2, man! Oh my god, dude, are you for real? You're being a drama queen, my goodness.”
“It didn't bother me as a kid, but the story is so dumb it's funny - remember kids, fasten your seatbelts, otherwise you're going to awaken an entire hellspawn.”
“While the abundance of misspellings and grammar errors in the game's text is really bad, it's funny at times (for the wrong reasons).”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is generally viewed as simplistic and lacking depth, with some reviewers finding humor in its absurdity, such as the protagonist's illogical actions. While it may have been entertaining in childhood, many now consider it poorly executed and filled with nonsensical elements. Overall, the narrative fails to impress, contributing to an overall mediocre gaming experience.
“The story is simple but has its own charm.”
“The plot may not be the strongest aspect, but the humor in the bird character falling into the volcano is genuinely funny.”
“The story is so absurd that it becomes entertaining - a reminder to always fasten your seatbelts, or you might awaken an entire hellspawn.”
“A mediocre game with bad humor, mediocre graphics, bad story, bad controls, and mediocre gameplay.”
“Simple story but few directions.”
“The plot has never been Kao's strong suit, but the fact that the bird character fell into the volcano and that's the whole plot is really funny to me. Dude, you have wings! Fly out! You flew in Kao 2, man! Oh my god, are you serious? You're being a drama queen, my goodness.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as mediocre overall, with some users noting its bad controls and lack of engaging story elements. However, others appreciate its relaxing atmosphere and easy gameplay, highlighting it as an enjoyable journey despite its shortcomings.
“The game opens up with no dialogue whatsoever aside from Kao's gameplay grunts, contrasting with the retail release from 2005, which was fully voice acted in Polish.”
“As far as gameplay goes, this is a very relaxing game with a chill atmosphere, soothing music, and easy gameplay for the most part. It's an enjoyable journey.”
“As far as gameplay goes, this is a very relaxing game with a chill atmosphere, soothing music, and easy gameplay for the most part. It's an enjoyable journey.”
“A mediocre game with bad humor, mediocre graphics, bad story, bad controls, and mediocre gameplay.”
“The game opens up with no dialogue whatsoever aside from Kao's gameplay grunts, as opposed to the retail release from 2005, which was fully voice acted in Polish.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with most players reporting no major glitches or bugs. However, some users have experienced isolated issues, such as NPC dialogue getting stuck during specific sections, necessitating a game restart. Occasional graphical glitches have also been noted, but they do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
“If it glitches, then the game just needs a reboot.”
“During the game, I did not encounter any major glitches or bugs with one exception - when I had to do the plane training section, the NPC dialogue got stuck, and I couldn't proceed nor could I get out of the dialogue, so I had to restart the game.”
“Graphical glitches.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Kao 3: Mystery of the Volcano" is characterized by a relaxing and chill vibe, enhanced by soothing music and easy gameplay, making it an enjoyable and immersive experience for players.
“Kao 3: Mystery of the Volcano is a short, sweet Kao platformer that actually has a lot of atmosphere to it!”
“This is a very relaxing game with a pretty chill atmosphere, relaxing music, and easy gameplay for the most part. It's an enjoyable journey.”
