The Down and Dirty

Young Kay the tiger must use his martial arts skills and magic powers to defeat the oppressive gorillas who've taken over his land.

The Goods

When I go to E3, I try to seek out the games that no-one else talks about. Not every game can be a show-stopper, but that doesn't mean there aren't gems to be found amongst the lesser-visited gaming kiosks. It's hard to get excited about a game, though, when the rep who's telling me about it responds to most of my questions with a bored shrug. Here's a typical exchange from my interview about The Legend of Kay:

Me: Ah, I see we can use magic. How many different spells can Kay learn? Is it all elementally based?
Rep: Um, yeah…there's magic. I don't know…there's lightning in the demo…I don't know what's in the final version.

Greaaaaaat. Let me just preorder that now!

So, bored rep aside, here's what we know. Kay is a great looking game, with bright colors and a fun cartoonish design. Though the visuals would tend to appeal to a younger set, it looks like the actual gameplay will be challenging enough for older gamers, too. The action is divided between combat and basic puzzle solving. The combat consists of melee attacks, and although Kay is trained in the martial arts, he never gets to fight hand to hand. Or paw to hoof. Whatever. He does get to choose from a variety of weapons, however, and can purchase different weapon and armor upgrades by collecting coins. Magic does play a part in the combat as well, but it's tough to say just how deep the magic system will be. Given the less-than-creative nature of the rest of the game design, it's a likely bet that it will be elementally based and have the standard lightning, fire, and wind attacks. The puzzles are the sort of box-pushing, switch throwing affairs that we've all seen before, but they're solidly done and not too frustrating or simplistic. In addition to the main storyline, there will be many sidequests for players to enjoy, such as races.

The Verdict

The Legend of Kay appears to be a fairly typical action/adventure title. That said, it is very nice looking, with good control, enjoyable characters, and pleasing environments. Younger gamers would definitely appreciate its solid gameplay and colorful presentation, and it might provide a decent diversion for the rest of us as we wait for Twilight Princess. Due out in September.