A hidden teasure, underappreciated, very good platformer.
The story revolves around Kay, a young cat who, in the face of the ineptitude of his elder piers, decides to take matters into his own hands by leaving his village to vanquish the evil Gorillas opressing the world and its peoples.
Along the way, Kay will help white rabbits, fight rats, gorillas and ninja turtles, ride boars and dragons, jump, swim, think, climb and claw his way to his destiny.
The game is made up of various cells around which doors and gateways must be unlocked by solving puzzles or defeating enemies in order to proceed with the game. Puzzles range from finding keys, recovering pieces of artifacts, racing on the back of some animal, etc and most of them are fun, some are hard, others are smart, you get the picture.
The cells make up worlds, each with its own visual ''theme'', unique enemies and a final boss/puzzle.
Kay can fight. Kay can fight gooood. He has various moves depending on the weapon he is using. The hammer bashes, the claws slash, the sword thrusts. Each weapon can be switched to easily, and Kay also has magical abilities, all of which are useful. Everything is upgradable, armour, weapons, spells and Kay can buy potions and items at stores all over the world, giving the game a definite action/RPG feel.
Boss fights are mostly very intuitive, Kay must usually weaken them by destroying items around the arena or using his moves effectively. no simple mindless hack & slash here.
The sound in Legend of Kay is equally excellent, minus the terrible, annoying voice acting. Fortunately, voices can be turned off. Perfect! The music is excellent, with asian themes all over, changing to suit the pacing of the game. Sound effects are a bit repetitive but great nonetheless.
Graphically, Kay looks a bit dated but shows many subtle little details, like drops of water when climbing out of water areas, flying insects, sparks on weapons, etc. Colors are crisp, clear and suit the mood perfectly, the graphics carry a very strong asian theme throughout, with temples and pagodas, tiled roofs, etc. Models are well animated and designed, although somewhat average in general quality. Kay is almost a year old by now.
Upon completing certain quests, defeating certain enemies and accomplishing certain feats, the player has access to some of the most original and interesting unlockable content out there, with animated 3D models of characters and enemies, concept images and sketches, character designs, etc just like a movie DVD.
Legend of Kay is a very decent and original platformer, with interesting characters, features, movies and graphics. Its only serious flaw is the voice acting, which can be turned off, making this game an almost perfect product for kids and adults alike. It may not have the highest hype and profile out there, but it certainly deserves a serious look and your hard earned money.