Blade Kitten
This Kitty Has Claws, Really Boring Claws.
Posted October 9, 2010
Developed from a web-comic of the same name, Blade Kitten is an action-adventure platformer that puts the player into the shoes (or kitten mittens) of a half-human, half-feline bounty hunter by the name of Kit Ballard. Set approximately 3 years before the events of the web-comic, Kit has been tasked with hunting down a blond adversary that pisses off Kit at the start of the tale. But Kit’s journey leads her into much more devious plans on the planet that her prey is taking refuge in. The presentation is definitely eye-catching, but the developer does an extremely poor job of setting you up with even a base amount of knowledge about the series. You really have to be a fan of the web-comic to understand Kit’s backstory and it alienates everyone else that hasn’t heard of the series.
Unfortunately, the worst part of the game is what you will be doing the most; combat. The simplistic combat system is nothing more than a button-spamming affair, specifically Kit’s basic melee attack. Kit also has a ranged attack, but it’s too often rendered useless as enemies swarm Kit almost immediately. As you battle, you can build up a special meter for a powerful special attack, but the animation time is takes to play out often leaves Kit vulnerable to repeated counter-attacks. Kit also has a defensive position by holding down the melee button, a sort of power shield that protects her from enemies for a short period. The reason that combat is so boring is there’s no deep combo system to rely upon to chain different types of attacks together. There’s not enough variety in enemies either, in regards to type and attack styles.
The boss battles require actual brain power to get though, but there are not enough instances to make the game entertaining. There’s also not enough dependence on the game’s upgrading system to warrant searching for treasure chests. The game allows you to collect money to purchase new gear, like armor and weapons, in a store, but you can get though the majority of the game without having to upgrade.
The achievement set is relatively varied. There are achievements for beating levels, killing a certain number of enemies or collection tasks. There are tougher tasks though like finishing a level without losing any health or beating all the levels in 90 minutes or less. It’s a set that offers both the casual and hardcore gamers tasks that they can complete. There’s no multiplayer component in the game, not even a co-op mode of play to take on the game again with a friend.
As an episodic series of games, Blade Kitten is going to have a difficult time pulling in fans to purchase the next title in the series. The poor narrative pacing, repetitive gameplay and general short length for the cost of the title (1200 MP points) are going to turn away even the most ardent fans of the Blade Kitten web-comic. You are looking at about 4 to 6 hours to complete the first episode of the game, on the latter end if you like exploring levels. If you like action-adventure platformers, you may want to try the demo, but you are likely better off skipping Blade Kitten completely unless the price is reduced to 400 MP points.
Discuss This Game on Our Official VGT Forum
Unfortunately, the worst part of the game is what you will be doing the most; combat. The simplistic combat system is nothing more than a button-spamming affair, specifically Kit’s basic melee attack. Kit also has a ranged attack, but it’s too often rendered useless as enemies swarm Kit almost immediately. As you battle, you can build up a special meter for a powerful special attack, but the animation time is takes to play out often leaves Kit vulnerable to repeated counter-attacks. Kit also has a defensive position by holding down the melee button, a sort of power shield that protects her from enemies for a short period. The reason that combat is so boring is there’s no deep combo system to rely upon to chain different types of attacks together. There’s not enough variety in enemies either, in regards to type and attack styles.
The boss battles require actual brain power to get though, but there are not enough instances to make the game entertaining. There’s also not enough dependence on the game’s upgrading system to warrant searching for treasure chests. The game allows you to collect money to purchase new gear, like armor and weapons, in a store, but you can get though the majority of the game without having to upgrade.
The achievement set is relatively varied. There are achievements for beating levels, killing a certain number of enemies or collection tasks. There are tougher tasks though like finishing a level without losing any health or beating all the levels in 90 minutes or less. It’s a set that offers both the casual and hardcore gamers tasks that they can complete. There’s no multiplayer component in the game, not even a co-op mode of play to take on the game again with a friend.
Graphics
- The cel-shaded, anime style, stunning visuals are one of the best aspects of Blade Kitten, specifically the revolving mesh between 2D and 3D. The cute, bright colors bounce off the landscape and bring the levels to life. The animation work, while limited, is excellent and character models are really quite detailed for an Xbox Live Arcade title. There is repetition on some of the environmental models / structures, but the action moves so quickly that it’s hard to take notice. The game runs very smoothly and I didn’t run into any serious framerate problems with the graphics engine.
Audio
- I’m typically not a fan of the voiceovers that typically come with anime themed titles, but the voiceover work was pretty solid. The characters all have convincing voice actors and help narrate the evolving story. The music is spunky, but easily forgettable after moving onto another game. Sound effects are equally as forgettable.
Conclusion
As an episodic series of games, Blade Kitten is going to have a difficult time pulling in fans to purchase the next title in the series. The poor narrative pacing, repetitive gameplay and general short length for the cost of the title (1200 MP points) are going to turn away even the most ardent fans of the Blade Kitten web-comic. You are looking at about 4 to 6 hours to complete the first episode of the game, on the latter end if you like exploring levels. If you like action-adventure platformers, you may want to try the demo, but you are likely better off skipping Blade Kitten completely unless the price is reduced to 400 MP points.
Discuss This Game on Our Official VGT Forum