The Legend of Kusakari Review

The Legend of Kusakari

Release: August 25, 2016
Publisher: Nnooo
Developer: Librage
Genre: Action, Adventure, Genres, Nintendo 3DS Reviews, Other
PEGI: 10+
Comments:

 

Comment

Everyone knows if you want to find a heart or rupee quick in a Zelda game, then you had better cut the grass and see what you can find. But what if there was an entire game about grass cutting with a sword? And you don’t find hearts or rupees when cutting the grass, no sir, the grass cutting is the point of the game! Well, the truth is that there is a game that is exactly about grass cutting and grass cutting only. The Legend of Kusakari for 3DS is that game about grass cutting. Is the game any good? Read my review to find out!

The Legend of Kusakari has a very simple story and its presented in a very simple way. You get a written crawl at the beginning of the game explaining whats going on and then there are words in between chapters that continue the story. I think it was a huge missed opportunity to not have cutscenes in this game. Kusakari is an oddball game and it should have had oddball cutscenes. Though, it also would have helped if The Legend of Kusakari’s gameplay was interesting.

There are only two modes in The Legend of Kusakari: Mission Mode and Endless Mode. In Mission mode, you take on the story missions where you have to cut all the grass, avoid enemies, and unlock new missions. In Endless Mode, you just keep cutting grass for as long as you can to get a high score. Both modes are very generic and bland. Mission mode does have some variety in its levels, but the variety is nothing too impressive and the levels never feel exciting. Avoiding enemies and surviving long enough to complete a level in mission mode can be challenging (and frustrating), but its not very fun. All you do is cut grass, avoid enemies, and move on to the next level.

Endless mode, on the other hand, is just one level where you cut grass, the grass grows back, and you have to last as long as you can. This mode is definitely more boring than mission mode, though high score enthusiasts may like it. There is an online leaderboard for people that are going for the high score. This is a nice addition for those looking to get the best score; everyone else won’t care about the leaderboard. Endless Mode isn’t too hard, but one of the game’s worst additions makes it a bit more challenging.

One of the things that makes Kusakari frustrating overall is that you’re health decreases as you go. You have to keep mowing down the grass in order to stay alive. This adds challenge but I think it was totally unnecessary in mission mode. The enemy avoiding is enough of a challenge there! Of course, in Endless mode, your health decreasing is the only thing that makes the mode challenging. I guess they could have left the health decreasing in Endless, but I wish they had taken it out of mission mode. I didn’t care for this game very much, however, not everything about Legend of Kusakari is bad.

Kusakari has a very good controls. The spin cut and sword slinging works just as well as a Zelda game. The analog controls are perfect too. The game also uses the 3DS’s second screen for a map, which can be very helpful since it shows were all the grass you need to cut is. The Legend of Kusakari may be a bland and generic game but its controls are pretty good. I think there will be some people who like this game a lot more than I did. I can see some people being addicted to it. Other people, like me, will just find the game boring and be ready to move on to a different game. Though, I have to admit that the graphics are good.

Kusakari has good graphics that remind me a bit of Zelda. Unfortunately, the main character and all of the enemies are pretty generic looking and that holds the graphics back a bit. Its definitely the grass that stands out the most graphically. The grass looks so nice that you almost don’t want to cut it down, but you have to since that’s the whole point of the game. Also, it should be noted that the game looks even better in 3D! The 3D in this game adds a sense of depth to the levels that looks very nice. I may have some issues with the character designs in the game, but I do think that the graphics are good anyway.

Meanwhile, Legend of Kusakari’s soundtrack is a mixed bag. Some of its music is alright, while its main theme is just plain annoying. The off-key horns in the theme got on my nerves every time. The game’s sound effects are not bad, though nothing special. Kusakari’s soundtrack is its weakest link. The game, overall, is not a very good game, but its not a totally bad one either.

The Legend of Kusakari will be a game that people either love or hate. The gameplay and story are very simple. Simple doesn’t always equal bad and the game does have some good points, like its graphics and controls. I think the game’s soundtrack was a mixed bag and I didn’t really care for the gameplay. If you’re looking for a game that lets you cut grass, you may just want to play a Zelda game instead. With Zelda, the grass point actually has a point (hearts! rupees!), whereas your score is the only point in Kusakari. The Legend of Kusakari is definitely an acquired taste and I think only high score enthusiasts need apply for this one.

Thanks to Noooo for providing a review copy of The Legend of Kusakari. The game is out now on the 3DS eshop.

Positives

• Good graphics
• Excellent controls

Negatives

• Bland and generic gameplay
• Soundtrack is a mixed bag
• No cutscenes

Trailer