KAKU: Ancient Seal, which originally released on Steam on the 12th of July 2024, is now coming to the PlayStation 5, bringing its open-world action-adventure experience to console players. The game stands out for its challenging boss fights, dynamic combat, and a mix of exploration, puzzles, and character progression. How does Kaku: Ancient Seal compare to other games in the genre, and how does it handle the current generation of consoles?

The story follows Kaku, a young boy chosen to restore balance to a world thrown into chaos after an ancient elemental seal shatters. Guided by a mysterious power and accompanied by his trusty companion Piggy, Kaku must explore four vast elemental regions, which are home to lost essence, each ruled by a corrupted lord. Along the way, you will solve forgotten mysteries, solve ancient puzzles, and battle enemies both big and small, unravelling the truth behind the disaster that set his adventure in motion.

I’ll be the first to admit I was more than surprised by the gameplay, with the perfect blend of open-world exploration, puzzle solving, and fast-paced combat that kept me constantly engaged in the game. You’re able to free-roam around the four regions, with each being filled with its own secrets, challenges, and unique creatures you need to battle. The combat felt dynamic, letting you mix melee attacks, elemental powers and Piggy’s support abilities to create a smooth, impactful combo.

I loved how difficult the boss fights were; it added a great challenge to the game, making the victories feel rewarding. As you progress through the story, you unlock perks and abilities that enhance Kaku’s combat style, elemental attacks, and utility skills, giving you plenty of room to play around with the playstyle, making it your own game.

I liked that the developers added a light survival and crafting element to the game, which made you keep checking to make sure you had enough ammo for the slingshot and enough fruit to heal. It really kept the game feeling fresh, strategic and really satisfying.

If you enjoy the exploration side of things, then the developers have added some content to spice up the game from the main quests. In each region, there is a series of challenge rooms and dungeons that have been scattered around the place. Now, these don’t just stand out, so you do need to search for them. The dungeons and challenge rooms are self-contained areas that test your combat, puzzle, and movement skills, and you need to make sure you’re aware that, whilst doing these, you’re more likely than not to get bursts of enemies chasing you.

But the reward is in the risk, and you get rewarded with valuable loot. More importantly, you score some Ruin Keys, which are special keys that unlock deeper, optional dungeons hidden throughout the world, and these offer some of the game’s most rewarding encounters and treasures, giving players a real incentive to fully explore what KAKU: Ancient Seal has to offer.

The controls in KAKU: Ancient Seal are snappy, well-optimised, and feel perfectly suited to the game’s style. Movement is fluid, making exploration and platforming sections feel smooth and intuitive. The combat inputs were super responsive, allowing precise timing for melee attacks, elemental abilities or doing that last-second combat roll away from a boss. Whether you were dodging enemy attacks, chaining combos, or solving puzzles, the controls never once felt clunky, which made the overall gameplay experience very enjoyable.

The sound design was a mixed bag. There was no voice dialogue, just strange mumbling and grunting, which didn’t convey much. I feel like it would have really polished the game with some voice acting.

On the other hand, the animal noises and ambient sounds are excellent, adding depth and atmosphere to each region and making exploration really feel alive. The subtle background music was a nice little addition when it was playing, making you really sit back in your chair and enjoy the game.

The developers hit the nail on the head with the art design, offering a perfect balance between animated charm and touches of realism, beautifully crafted environments, stunning lighting, and dynamic shadows that make the world visually captivating. I was a massive fan of the small details, like how trekking through snow leaves realistic footprints that don’t just vanish when you turn around.

The animals and beasts you encounter look absolutely fantastic, full of personality and detail. That being said, the character models felt a little underwhelming in comparison, and the cutscenes actually looked worse than the gameplay itself, which is unusual. A little more attention to character details would have further elevated the experience.

Overall, KAKU: Ancient Seal is a solid and engaging open-world action-adventure that successfully blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and dynamic combat into a cohesive experience. The game shines in its challenging boss fights, fluid controls and rewarding gameplay.

The game is not without its shortcomings: a lack of voice acting, sometimes underwhelming character models, and cutscenes that don’t match the quality of the gameplay. Despite these minor issues, KAKU: Ancient Seal offers a unique and satisfying experience.

Written by: Hayden Nelson