Kemono Heroes Review: Pixel Art Meets Platforming Adventure Find Out More!

Rating: 7
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · March 27, 2025

Our Kemono Heroes Review brings retro platforming to life with its vibrant pixel art, action-packed gameplay, and a world filled with charm and nostalgia. This cooperative adventure combines classic mechanics with modern twists, offering players the thrill of slashing through enemies, mastering unique character skills, and tackling varied level designs. With local co-op support for up to four players, multiple difficulty options, and exciting boss battles, Kemono Heroes caters to casual gamers and hardcore fans alike. But does it truly stand out in a crowded genre? Read on to discover the highs and lows of this nostalgic journey and find out if it’s worth your time.

Kemono Heroes Review Pros:

Decent pixel art graphics.
1.29GB download size.
Steam achievements.
Full controller support.
Own in-game achievements.
You can remap the controls.
Three game difficulties – Easy, Normal, and Hard.
Four playable characters – Fudemaru, Hanako, Yu, and Miyuke.
The game supports four-player local co op play.
Beautiful 2D game World with animated background and foreground.
You can swap characters at any time from the menu.
Action platformer gameplay.
Pick up different coins that vary in amount.
You have a double jump, slash attack, hook for swinging, dash, and a special move.
The health bar system, and you pick up food to replenish it.
Aside from the usual platforming, you get a variety of level types, like stealth or hiding.
A lot of slashing enemies and throwing weapons at them.
Treasure chests to break open for coins.
It looks and plays like an early 00s platformer.
Use the shop at the end of the stages and buy upgrades, weapons, and extra lives.
The hook makes traversing the land a lot easier, and it looks cool.
When you die, you just respawn where you last died.
End of world boss fights.
Weapons add ranged firing to the game, and it has full eight-directional shooting.
The later levels are a lot better than the early levels.

Kemono Heroes Review Cons:

No graphics settings.
The remapped controls are done via XInput, and it’s not the prettiest or best menu system.
There is a lot of screen tearing and judder when playing.
It doesn’t perform well at all.
There are no tutorials.
When you get to the end of a stage, it just ends; there is no transition or acknowledgement.
The game does that thing where, as you move, you cannot move back, meaning you can easily miss enemies and pick-ups.
Very repetitive level design, the variety of the levels doesn’t really do enough to make the game feel different or engaging.
The shop doesn’t describe what the items are.
You get to the end of the game, and then you change in a way, and then you go through the game again.

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Kemono Heroes:

Official website.

Developer: https://x.com/MadGearGames

Publisher: JanduSoft

Store Links –

Steam

7/10

Graphics - 7/10
7/10

Sound - 7/10
7/10

Accessibility - 7/10
7/10

Length - 7/10
7/10

Fun Factor - 7/10

7/10

Summary

Kemono Heroes offers players an engaging action-platformer experience with a nostalgic flair, bringing back memories of early 2000s games. The pixel art graphics are charming and complemented by beautifully animated 2D backgrounds and foregrounds, creating a visually appealing game world. Players can choose from four playable characters—Fudemaru, Hanako, Yu, and Miyuke—and freely swap between them from the menu, adding a touch of flexibility to gameplay. The mechanics allow for various moves, including double jumps, slashes, hooks for swinging, dashes, and special moves, making traversing and combat dynamic and fun. Coins scattered throughout levels and hidden treasure chests provide opportunities for players to gain rewards, while a shop at the end of stages lets them purchase upgrades, weapons, and extra lives. Notably, the game features end-of-world boss fights, adding excitement and challenges to the journey.

The multiplayer mode stands out, supporting up to four-player local co-op play. It includes customizable controls and three difficulty settings—Easy, Normal, and Hard—making it accessible for a wide range of players. Steam achievements, in-game achievements, and full controller support enhance the experience further. Although the lack of tutorials may feel jarring to newcomers, the gameplay itself offers a mix of platforming levels and a variety of stages, such as stealth challenges, which aim to keep players engaged.

However, Kemono Heroes isn’t without its shortcomings. Despite the detailed designs, the levels often feel repetitive, as the variety introduced does little to break the monotony. Performance issues like screen tearing and judder detract from the overall experience, and there are no graphics settings to mitigate these problems. The game lacks transitions or acknowledgment when completing stages, and players might find themselves missing enemies and pickups due to the inability to move backward. The shop menu could benefit from clearer item descriptions, as its current state may confuse players. While later levels improve upon the initial ones, the overall design doesn’t consistently maintain a sense of freshness, and the remapped controls, done via XInput, aren’t intuitive. The lack of a tutorial and uneven performance may frustrate some players.

In conclusion, Kemono Heroes delivers an enjoyable platformer with fun mechanics, local co-op play, and a vibrant game world. While its repetitive design and technical issues hold it back, fans of retro-style games may still find charm in its nostalgic gameplay.

“Kemono Heroes swings into action—an old-school adventure with modern twists that’ll leave you hooked!”