Nintendo Switch Review Code Provided by Nintendo
Coming into 2022, by far one of the most anticipated titles for any Switch owner was HAL Laboratory Nintendo’s Kirby and the Forgotten Land. For the first time, the titular character, Kirby has found himself in a fully 3D action-platformer set in a new and vibrant world. The game had all of the makings and hype of a slam-dunk for the company. Having played the game to the end, I can definitely say that this is an essential game for any Switch owner.
Story
By far, the lightest aspect of this adventure is the story surrounding our characters in Forgotten Land. But I’ve got to say, this is a good thing. The story begins as Kirby is sucked off of Planet Popstar and dropped into a new and dangerous world. Along the way, Kirby bumps into one of this world’s inhabitants, Elfilin, who assists him on his journey to save the planet’s Waddle Dees.
I say the story is pretty light as there are not many story beats and little to no verbal dialogue throughout the game. There is only a couple of cinematics that are set in the beginning, middle, and end of the game. Though, in an industry filled with games that want to emulate movies, I’m so thankful that HAL focused on gameplay. And after all, why play games if they’re just going to copy movies anyway?
Gameplay
When I had played the demo for this title a few weeks ago, I was left with a stomach hungry for more. I was not expecting a 3D Kirby title to be as exciting and innovative as this title truly is. There are the usual signs of a 3D platformer here with things to collect, enemies to fight, and many obstacles to traverse. Though, this game really does a lot of experimentation in its gameplay that really felt like something new was happening on every level.
When it comes to combat, Kirby can of course copy his enemies’ abilities by sucking them up. There are 12 different abilities to learn in the game and as you play further and locate blueprints for them along your journey, you can upgrade them for stronger attacks and new moves. Every new upgrade you unlock really makes the ability feel like a night and day change from its default form.
Boss fights are extremely fun and I honestly felt that they were pretty well balanced throughout the game. The end has a barrage of different bosses to fight but even in that area still never felt too overwhelming. I’m someone who likes challenges but doesn’t like games that are brutal. There’s a big difference and I think that this title is definitely refreshing in that regard.
The platforming is some of the best I’ve played in a 3D game in a while. There’s so much baked into each and every level that just thinking about how the devs were even able to make it happen blows my mind. On top of the copy abilities that can be used to solve environmental puzzles in order to progress through the game or to just find collectibles, you also have the new Mouthful Mode.
The Mouthful Mode adds another layer to gameplay as Kirby is allowed to take on the shape and attributes of inanimate objects such as cars, traffic cones, and even a rollercoaster. It’s an insane idea on paper but becomes Forgotten Land’s standout feature. And although it could appear easy for this to either become taxing as you play or just gimmicky, the game manages to keep things fresh and I actually continually was excited when I’d get the chance to use one again.
When it comes to the world outside of its levels, you do have the ability to visit your hub which is the Waddle Dees’ town. As you play the game and save more and more of these creatures, the town begins to develop and with it some pretty cool features. There’s the workshop that lets you upgrade your abilities, a restaurant to visit for food to regain health, and even an arena to fight bosses you’ve encountered in the game.
Audio and Visual
Talk about a beautiful game. Forgotten Land always has something new visually to show off that always made me impressed that they were able to make things like this possible on a handheld console. This is by far one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever seen. There’s a great blending of cartoony elements and realistic ones that give this title the most beautiful take on dystopia.
The audio was superb as well, especially in the score that organically plays out as you journey forward. The characters also make cute sounds as well which was a sure way to get an “awwww” from me every once in a while. I would’ve liked to have had more spacial audio though in the cinematics. There’s just music playing over them for the most part and it makes it feel like an AMV (Anime Music Video) rather than a cinematic for a video game.
Replayability
If what I’ve already said isn’t enough, this game boasts some of the coolest ideas to attract replayability that I've ever seen. In the Waddle Dees’ town alone there’s not only the boss arena but parlor games to play, an order-taking game, and fishing to name a few. There are also the timed mini-levels strewn throughout the map as well. Completing these gives you the crystal shards you need to upgrade your copy abilities.
Lastly, upon completing the game you’re given the chance to play the game’s levels again with some very noticeable changes. I don’t want to get into that too much though so I don’t spoil anything. Let’s just say that this title definitely warrants a couple of playthroughs, at least.
What It Could Have Done Better
Aside from the AMV feel of the cutscenes, there is only one nitpick worth mentioning. It being the fact that enemies in the distance at times can drop frames. The game never slows down but for some reason, the enemies just look a bit choppy when not in the foreground. This was something that I pointed out in my First Impressions and I was hoping it would be fixed by release day.
Verdict
Going into Kirby and the Forgotten Land, I had high hopes that the game would be at least one of my favorite titles on the Switch for the year. Coming out of it, not only is this my favorite game I’ve played so far in 2022 but it’s one of my favorite Switch games, period. Between the incredible gameplay, locations, and presentation, this title is sure to be held as a benchmark for Nintendo platformers going forward. As I said, this is an essential experience for Switch owners and I cannot recommend this title enough.
