Game review: KAKU: Ancient Seal (PS5)

It's always a breath of fresh air to play a new game from an indie developer because younever know what to expect. This is because we've been lucky enough to review an enjoyable action-RPG called KAKU: Ancient Seal from developer BINGOBELL. 

Even though this is labelled as an "indie" game, KAKU: Ancient Seal is far from a small experience. The game features a huge open-world environment for you to explore, and there are tons of abilities to master, plus lots of enemies to beat up. 

The game starts off in a small and humble way because you play as a little caveboy named Kaku. Before his true adventure begins, Kaku is hungry and starts hunting for a small piglet to eat for breakfast. 

At the start of the game, Kaku is armed with a club, which he can use to beat down enemies with ease. After he meets up with a wise old man, he gains access to a slingshot, with which he can shoot down beehives or enemies from afar. 

KAKU: Ancient Seal's story opens up once he and the piglet stumble upon an ancient ruin. It is here that Kaku realises the world is in peril and he has to save it. In order to save the world, Kaku needs to travel to four different elemental regions and defeat their lords, plus reclaim the lost Elemental Souls. 

Kaku isn't alone in his journey because he starts to befriend the piglet named Piggy, even though he initially hunted him as prey. Piggy has special abilities that allow him to teleport Kaku to different regions and give him some special powers. 

Graphically, KAKU: Ancient Seal features nice-looking cartoonish graphics with a distinct art style. The graphics aren't realistic-looking by any means, but the visuals are still lovely because the game mainly takes place in natural environments. 

Not to mention, the game mostly runs and looks great if you are playing it on the PS5. There are no Performance or Quality modes in this game because it targets 4K and 60fps at all times. The game mostly runs well, although I did notice some framerate dips when the gameplay gets too chaotic. 

Speaking of the gameplay, KAKU: Ancient Seal is very enjoyable because the game is easy to master, and there are tons of cool abilities for you to learn. As I said before, at the start of the game, Kaku is armed with a club as well as a slingshot. 

By pressing the Square button, Kaku can club enemies with a simple, quick attack. However, it's better to press the Triangle button in order to stun enemies. Each enemy has a stun meter that is coloured blue, and it's in your best interest to stun enemies to knock them out in an easier fashion. 

As you progress further into the game, Kaku will also learn more combos for you to take advantage of. Some attacks can deplete Kaku's own stamina meter, but the game isn't punishing like a Dark Souls game, so most people should feel comfortable with the game's combat. 

The other major weapon that Kaku has in his pocket is his trusty slingshot. The basic ammo type for his slingshots is tiny stones, and he can use them for an infinite amount of time. However, he can craft different types of ammo by collecting special coloured ores from the environment.

The different ammo types you can craft include Fire, Lightning and Poison. You can even shoot at poison flowers that will poison a whole group of enemies that are near them. Even shooting beehives from afar will get bees to attack evil nearby enemies, too!

I'm not going to spoil all of the special abilities that Kaku has in the game, but Piggy can give him some unique powers as well. One of the more helpful abilities is a double jump that allows Kaku to reach higher platforms. Another cool ability is a water bubble that allows him to walk on top of deep water. 

KAKU: Ancient Seal isn't just about the combat because a ton of exploration and puzzle-solving are also involved in this game. There are tons of puzzles to solve and even dungeons to explore. It makes the game less repetitive and will make players think for themselves. 

The only major issue I had with the game, though, is that some of the waypoints can be unhelpful. It reminds me of an Ubisoft game where a waypoint might be in a weird position that is blocked by a huge cliff or a large patch of deep water. 

The most helpful waypoints in open-world video games belong to Sony's Horizon series. In those games, the waypoints move and give you the exact direction that you need to go to avoid obstacles being in the way. 

Aside from unhelpful waypoints, KAKU: Ancient Seal is a great open-world action RPG from an indie developer. If you love games like the Horizon series, you are bound to like this game as well. 

Verdict: 8.5/10