Kirby and the Forgotten Land Review: The Definitive Kirby Game

Kirby and the forgotten land removes any doubt that Nintendo’s pink puffball can carry more than its own 3D adventure game.

Despite its semi-open world, the game isn’t swallowed up by the vastness of its new format. for clarity, forgotten land is technically not an open world game Areas are segmented—bbut for the sake of brevity, we will describe it as such. forgotten land is intuitive without having to hold your hand, allows you to explore the gameplay the way you want, and is jam-packed with a ton of formidable enemies and hidden environmental details in between.

One day, while chilling in Dream Land, a rift rips through the sky and sucks Waddle Dees in. While trying to save the Waddle Dees, our hero Kirby falters isekaitransported to a dystopian world similar to our own.

Right away, forgotten land distances itself from its predecessor kirby Play with the injection of a dangerous anti-utopia. While previous titles were airy kirby visual novels, forgotten land is a Greek epic full of imposing titans for Kirby to conquer, and over are the railroad tours through scenic landscapes, defeating enemies with the power of friendship and Kirby’s limitless lung capacity. Now you must bravely march into the unknown armed as a throat goat, investing time and resources to upgrade powers of your choice. Made this dark change forgotten land an invigorating adventure from start to finish without getting overly melancholic.

The game starts off with a rapture, sure, but Kirby’s baby coos as it discovers new landscapes, and triumphant dances after completing a level do the trick forgotten land feel more like the more optimistic kirby games of the past. Until you start exploring other areas that get progressively darker.

Once idyllic paradises are transformed into hellscapes. Each brave pitter-patter from Kirby’s tiny feet plunges him deeper forgotten land increasingly harsh climate, barren landscapes and war-mongering wild animals.

Doom lurks around every corner forgotten land is duly punctuated by the game’s foreboding soundtrack. Whether it’s a deserted carnival, a desert view, or a mist silent Hill stretch over a snow covered bridge, kirbyThe soundtrack accentuates each country with its own unique atmosphere. forgotten land‘s music effectively foreshadows the looming menace lurking in every setting, while being pretty damn catchy to boot.

forgotten land makes it clear that the entire game is just an extended rescue mission. Still, it manages to keep the gameplay fresh by overcoming challenges and giving cards their own mechanics. forgotten land lets you choose which gameplay you most want to explore. There’s Treasure Hunt time trials for platformers, collaborative play for those who don’t want to go it alone, and of course the optional open-world objectives to make a completer’s heart beat faster.

All of these elements can aid in your mission, whether in the form of upgrades, a helping hand in battles, or acquiring new loot. but forgotten land never forces you to engage with these playstyles and leaves it up to you to make the game your own.

The game tempts you to at least try to explore the different objectives, with an intelligent use of hints at the beginning of the levels. Players are prompted with messages like “There are five objectives you can complete,” which encouraged me to search every crack in the wall or mysterious Kirby-shaped anomaly for a hidden path or mysterious item.

During kirby Games are not known for their difficulty, forgotten land adds a sense of nuance to traversal and combat. After you complete an area, the game will reveal objectives you missed, like finding a secret path or defeating a boss with a certain power without getting hit or floating off the ground. Though you can blitz the game through areas like skipping a board game, the game’s optional objectives turn into a checklist that encourages more thorough exploration of the game’s 3D world and mastery of Kirby’s skills. But the game encourages that growth through its treasure hunt side quests.

Although I initially dreaded Treasure Hunts because they dropped me into an obstacle course without the game’s many imaginative worlds, they quickly became my favorite aspect forgotten land for the challenge they presented than mine brain rotten Devil May Cry-esque swordsmanship made the first few worlds a breeze. It also didn’t hurt that looping through my Kirby powers allowed me to quickly level up my go-to Kirby powers.

Besides that, forgotten land is not without problems.

The platform can be finicky. While a run start before jumping would normally give you more distance, kirby interprets this input as you move forward with no intention of jumping, leading Kirby to take the plunge into the unforgiving depths. platforms johns That being said, rest assured that every stumble and step during Kirby’s trials and tribulations will be handsomely rewarded forgotten land‘s bombastic finale.

And while forgotten land is rich in dangerous landscapes and foreboding music, but without compelling new characters. Kirby’s newest companion, ElfinHe never becomes more than a cheerleader and guide. And Meta Knight’s appearance is a cheap cameo in a coin farming tournament.

However, King Dedede is an absolute eye-catcher. In front forgotten landhe was merely portrayed as a lazy, unjust king. but forgotten land breaks the mold by giving the old curmudgeon a chance to redeem himself in a breathtaking “go on, I’m holding ’em back” scene that could have been straight out of an action movie. Subtle moments like Dedede’s chivalry or Kirby’s many wide-eyed, surprised faces make for brief characterization and provide some much-needed lightness between Kirby’s treacherous globetrotting spree. And he’s essentially the last remnant of humanity before some crazy space shit happens

Finally, forgotten landThe final act of is high-octane action, along with a few others Third Act Smörgåsbord of the Elements that got me thinking Akira, Bayonet, and even halo 3. While every other game’s attempt at such over-the-top twist might crumble under the weight of its own ambition, forgotten land‘s Finale never did. Because Kirby is a spooky horror all in itself forgotten landThe crazy ending of Bat Shit felt like a slow simmer of concepts the game dribbled at you until it finally blew its lid in spectacular fashion, with every game mechanic playing to its maximum potential in the final act.

From the beginnings of rapture to the M. Night Shyamalan-like twist ending, Kirby and the forgotten land is a shining example of Kirby living up to the open-world treatment, alongside other Nintendo attributes like his lion’s share Legend of Zelda and Mario.

Updated: 04/21/22 11:24 AM ET: This review was updated to clarify this Kirby and the forgotten land is not technically an open-world game, although it is colloquially referred to as such here and elsewhere.