REVIEW
Written byDethyanFrom the archive
KUNAI is a nimble little Metroidvania with a clear feel for momentum. Its best moments come when movement, platforming and combat stop being separate tasks and start feeding into one another. A dash or parry is not just decoration; timing matters, and the game has a satisfying snap when you get it right. The result is an action platformer that feels lively under your hands and consistently gives its movement room to shine.
The visual style does a lot with a deliberately limited palette. The chunky pixel art has that Super Game Boy quality: bold, readable shapes and a pleasingly compact range of colors. It gives the world personality without crowding the action, and the expressive little touches keep the presentation charming rather than cold. The soundtrack is a major part of that appeal. It has real energy and gives the adventure a heart that could easily have been lost in a more generic robot-apocalypse setup.
There is a pleasing mix of influences in the way KUNAI moves. The grappling and traversal have a Bionic Commando flavor, while the quick, nimble action recalls The Messenger. Those are useful touchstones, but KUNAI has enough character of its own to avoid feeling like a mere imitation. Its level design is clever, and the platforming is precise enough to make navigating the world feel like a skill you are building, rather than a chore between fights.
Combat is fast and satisfying, and the small decisions carry weight. Parrying and dashing matter, so encounters ask for attention instead of inviting you to mash through them. That gives the action a satisfying rhythm and supports the game’s emphasis on movement. I also appreciate how naturally the platforming and fighting belong together: the same responsiveness that makes it fun to move around gives the combat its spark.
KUNAI is not quite as polished as its strongest ideas deserve. I would like the controls and combat to be a little tighter. That is a meaningful reservation in a game where precision and responsiveness are so central, and it keeps the action from reaching the effortless confidence of the very best in the genre. The comparison to Hollow Knight is an ambitious one; KUNAI has enough charm and design sense to make the thought tempting, but it is not quite there yet.
Still, the caveat does not undo what works. This is a solid, well-judged Metroidvania built around fluid movement, smart platforming and combat with a satisfying pulse. Its presentation is memorable, its music gives it warmth, and its mechanics make the adventure feel like something made with affection for the form. I recommend KUNAI to anyone looking for a compact, characterful action platformer, especially if they enjoy movement that asks to be mastered. It may need a little more control and combat refinement to stand alongside the genre’s giants, but it already has the good instincts and personality to be worth playing.
— Dethyan / Noobsnoplay