Kalimba officially released on December 17 via the Xbox Games Store with a PC release set to follow in January 2015. The biggest draw to Kalimba is its challenging puzzle design that corresponds to your colored totems within the game environment. Gamers will spend hours on end trying to get their totems to the end of each level while trying to break their high score each time.
The visual and sound elements in Kalimba are simplistic in nature, but they still manage to go a long way. The bright visuals compliment the fun puzzle-platforming aspect to a tee to present gamers with an overall pleasant gameplay experience. The single-player portion of Kalimba requires getting your totem pole from one end of the map to other while avoiding enemies and pitfalls. Gamers are often tasked with guiding two totem pieces of different color variations through an obstacle-filled environment that requires solving intricate puzzles to proceed. Kalimba will definitely test your patience as you perfectly try to align totem pieces to hit buttons and jumps simultaneously without succumbing to the enemy forces around you.
Kalimba requires that players push the boundaries of physics with death-defying movements that often require a well-developed strategy to succeed. The game offers around four to eight hours of gameplay with your first playthrough depending on your skill level. The replay value for Kalimba is rather high since gamers can spend hours trying to beat their best scores and improve their performance with each playthrough.
While Kalimba provides solid mechanics and an overall enjoyable platforming experience--the biggest downfall of Kalimba was the slightly wonky controls, especially in single-player campaign, alongside the sensitive physic-based movements. There were moments in the game that if you didn't hit a button or area just right then you could die and have to restart from your most recent checkpoint. And no one likes repeatedly dying! However, when you make it to the end of the level, the victory is that much sweeter. Gamers who become easily frustrated with puzzles will probably enjoy playing co-op mode with a friend since it makes gameplay a lot more satisfying.
In the end, Kalimba does offer up a challenging and unique experience despite its most basic visuals and sound design. The physics and gravity movements can be a bit touchy but that doesn't completely hinder the game's overall level of enjoyment. If you love challenging and intricate puzzle platformers then Kalimba is definitely for you. But if you are the type of gamer that easily gets frustrated when it comes to puzzles then you may find certain aspects of Kalimba less enjoyable. It is important to always take your interests and playstyle into account before picking up any game because this can change your entire perspective of it. Kalimba does offer up many hours of fun entertainment and should be a title worth considering this holiday season.
Kalimba is now available for Xbox One for $9.99 and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. To learn more, visit the official Press Play website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Fun Local Co-op Mode
- Colorful Visuals
- Leaderboard Support
- Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer/Publisher: Press Play
Platforms: Xbox One (reviewed)
Release Date: December 17, 2014
