Kotama and Academy Citadel

“Kotama’s game doesn’t always nail every aspect that same of the greats of the genre do, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have a solid combat system, boss fights, and excellent visuals and information relaying. This is a solid Metroidvania title to add to your ever-increasing backlog.”

“There are a lot of different things in Kotama and Academy Citadel. It has a great combat system, a smart way to heal, and a strong visual personality through the way the characters are designed. Plus, it has rough platforming, a story that isn’t focused, technical problems, and systems that aren’t fully developed and never quite reach their full promise.”

“Kotama and Academy Citadel is fun once you stop trying to brute-force it. Enemies hit hard, healing costs money, and fights make more sense when you start switching weapons and reacting instead of rushing in. It’s rough in spots, and the story doesn’t push itself to the front, but if you like metroidvanias where getting better comes from playing smarter, it’s easy to stick with.”

“Kotama & Academy Citadel is a competent metroidvania that clearly understands the fundamentals of the genre and delivers a solid overall experience. The fast, combo-heavy combat and the vast map packed with content are standout features, and the colorful anime-style atmosphere helps make the adventure engaging. Still, its approach is quite conservative: the traversal abilities follow the expected pattern, and the main structure is almost entirely linear. Although it introduces interesting ideas, the game does not explore these mechanics deeply enough to leave a lasting impact. The result is an enjoyable, but not a particularly bold experience.”

“Kotama and Academy Citadel stands out as a cheerful counterpoint to a genre that’s lately leaned hard into gloom and grit. It’s also my latest addiction; a consistently enjoyable trip whether you’re experiencing it at its highest highs or pushing through its not very significant lows. As a bonus, it’s also shockingly affordable for just how much visual personality it brings to the table.”

“A fairly by-the-book platformer where gameplay never goes to any great heights or depths. Certain small aspects regarding platforming and combat can occasionally become annoying, but these negatives aside, the art and general charm of the game is quiet compelling. The story hints at some dark sci-fi plots, and exploration is satisfying, if sometimes annoyingly difficult. The characters are especially attractive with their highly animated visual novel portraits, which gives a sense of life this genre often doesn't have. Overall, though, Kotama and Academy Citadel feels like it needed more cohesion to really come together.”