Disclaimer: I obtained Kao the Kangaroo Round 2 for free during a giveaway in the lockdown however I don’t do biased reviews.
Kao the Kangaroo Round 2 is a rerelease of a 2003 platform game. This game was first made available for PCs and sixth-generation consoles. Given that it was developed by indie developers in Poland, this game is admittedly somewhat obscure. Unsurprisingly this game was very popular in Poland. Now this game has also found its way onto steam. This for many will be good news. Particularly those who want to play games such as this. As this game even if it is an older game it does run well on steam and modern systems.
While graphically the art for this game is cartoony and looks quite childlike. So my first expectations for this game were that it would be very childlike and be simple to play on. With my first impressions being that this game would be suitable for anyone under the age of 6. Surprisingly the content in this game is actually not that childish. Even though, this game has a graphic style and tone that does look resemble that of a children’s cartoon.
However it isn’t very basic nor does it mollycoddle you too much. This is good thing especially if you want a child friendly game that is good for adults to play on. However I feel that the game does lack in some aspects when it comes to accessibility. As when it comes to the mechanics of this game I feel that it is lacking on explaining some mechanics. Yet when it comes to throwing items the game will give you a tutorial which is clear and easily understood. Due to of the lack of tutorials I did end up struggling in some parts of the game.
But content wise this game is a 3d platform game. This game is not dissimilar to your average 90’s platform games such as Spyro with a variety of different levels. Most of which are a predominately free roam environment. In which your goal can vary from collecting all the objects present on each level. This objective is commonly used for most levels, in some instances you can even take on a boss.  For the most part on the levels I did often find myself going back to areas I had been to. Mostly to retrieve coins as it is sometimes quite easy to miss them either by not looking hard enough. Alternatively it is possible to miss them entirely.
Taking one level in particular I was going down a stream in a barrel and I missed a coin. So I had to retrace my steps and jump into the barrel to go down the stream. Which, for whatever reason had returned to its original place.). I believe that using a controller is the ideal way to play this game. Purely because you have to move the cameras around with the arrow keys whilst you use wsad controls. Assuming you use default controls to play the game. However if you use a controller you use the analogue sticks to move around. I think that playing the game with a controller is a better experience than using a keyboard.
Although I liked this game I feel that it is quite short. As it is a small story-based game, it’s possible to get completed quickly. However I feel that there could have been much more provided such as harder difficulty mode. The game could have even included the option of speed racing a level with/against an opponent on local/online multiplayer. Sadly, after you have completed the game you have seen/done everything that this game has to offer.
Overall I can recommend this game. Especially if you are looking for a 2000’s era platform game that anyone can enjoy. Provided you don’t mind the 2000’s era graphics. I also think for what the game it isn’t that much even at its normal price of £1.69. Although this game occasionally is on sale, sometimes it is even given away for free in some instances.
