Having seen the pink haired, spiky teethed, sword wielding, every possible surface scaling half-cat, half punk chick heroine of Blade Kitten, we're starting to wonder if the cats in Australia, where developer Krome Studios are based, are a little different to the European variety. The last time we checked, our cats didn't brandish swords at us, couldn't walk across the ceiling like a spider, or scale a wall. A curtain, possibly, but seeing as they usually have trouble staying on our lap, we know they're not all that athletic.
But realism be damned, as Kit, the star of Blade Kitten, is much feistier, and a damn sight more athletic than any cat of ours. An intergalactic bounty hunter of sorts, with a cuddly sidekick called Skiffy, the story in Blade Kitten seems to be not so much an afterthought as completely non-existent, with a series of brief cutscenes stringing together the levels in the most rudimentary of ways.
Part pink cat, part annoying American teen. Quite unassuming for a bounty hunter.
Not that that affects the gameplay though - and, as you may have guessed from the introduction, Blade Kitten's all about the exploration. With thirteen sprawling levels to play through, the game feels less about platforming, and more about exploring every nook and cranny to see where they go. Defeating the bad guys is almost an afterthought, as with tens of collectibles on each level - many of which are hidden away in places that'll take a lot of effort to reach - you'll find yourself spending ages just looking around. We were averaging around half an hour on each level, and with thirteen on offer, that equates to around six hours of gameplay. Which isn't too bad, but does feel a bit steep for a game that costs £10.
You progress through the levels by basically moving from left to right, although things are made a lot more interesting through the sheer size and scale of the levels. With seemingly several different routes taking you to the same end point (just with different bonuses along with way), it's a lot like the old Sonic games, and with several hidden areas on each level, it gives the game a whole lot of replay value - as you're bound to have missed one of the treasure chests, datapads, or Skiffs along the way. And if you have only missed the one - good luck finding it.
When you do come to a platforming section, though, Blade Kitten tries its best to make things easier for you, by making your jumps automatically lock on to whatever it thinks you're trying to target. Gone are the days of requiring pixel perfect accuracy in your jumps, as instead Kit leaps from narrow post to narrow post with a simple press of the A button - which goes a long way to helping the game to be less frustrating.
Of course, enemies will be thrown in your way to try and stop you progressing through the levels, and disappointingly, these are one of the low points of the game. Incredibly cheap, with guns that seem to lock onto you and fire, without giving you chance to respond, the enemies just end up being annoying - especially when they run at you, and just keep hacking, as you find yourself defenseless. By hammering X, you'll eventually manage to seemingly glitch the game to manage to attack through their endless salvo, but it feels like you've only managed to actually beat them by chance.
Down boy! Down!
Also annoying are the number of traps that are laid out for you. On the third level, you'll have to ride a creature known as a Noot across a field, as strange, tentacled nautilus seem to randomly appear, and charge at the screen, giving you only few second's notice to try and dodge - all while on the back of your incredibly unresponsive steed. Even worse is the fact that if one of these nautilus hit you, it's a one hit kill. Who ever decided on that needs shooting.
The game would also be a lot better if Kit would just shut up. She's forever making ridiculous noises as she jumps, glides, and swings through the levels, and with her stereotypical American "What-ever" gravelly voice, it quickly begins to grate. A deeper story, too, would have been appreciated - especially for a game that claims to be the first in a two part series.
But if you're looking for a new platformer, with a whole host of collectible goodies, and a firm emphasis on exploring, Blade Kitten could be right up your street. But with Tomb Radier: Underworld available for less than a tenner on the high street, and ticking very similar boxes, it kind of makes you question the value of "part one" of a series. For 800 points, or around £6.80, this would be much better value.
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
