Review: Keen: One Girl Army (Steam)

by Jim Smale · July 23, 2020

Keen: One Girl Army is a sliding puzzle game with turn-by-turn tactical combat and a hint of adventure! Guide Kim, a grumpy little girl raised by her grandmother on a journey to stop an evil secret society from destroying her village.

Pros:

Cartoon graphics.
1240mb Download size.
Neon lighting presentation.
Full controller support.
Graphics-GFX quality, resolution, and v-sync.
Puzzle gameplay.
Game-slide around and attack enemies, trigger doors, and interact with people. The walls and objects stop you.
Learn new moves as you progress like cross swipe, circular attacks, etc.
Map to show where and what to do in a level.
World map level select.
The orbs-each level has 3 orb missions like finish level, take no damage, do the level in X amount of moves. These orbs unlock secret/future levels.
Oriental theme soundtrack.
Very simple easy to learn controls.
8 moves in total to learn and are cataloged in the menu so you can check what you have.
Map uncovers as you play.
Checkpoints in the level and replenish health.
Boss fights.
Can replay levels.
Shrines- use your orbs to unlock a shrine where you solve the puzzle to get a new move.
Satisfying aha moments.

Cons:

Poor checkpointing.
No actual tutorial.
Difficulty spikes.
Help button would be nice!
No voice work.
Forgettable story.
Only one control layout.
No colourblind support.

8/10

Graphics - 8/10
7/10

Sound - 7/10
7/10

Accessibility - 7/10
7/10

Length - 7/10
8/10

Fun Factor - 8/10

7.4/10

Summary

Keen is a game I feel I have played many times before, the premise is simple, slide around the floor and solve puzzles, the scenery will stop you sliding so it’s a giant slide puzzle-like what we had in the old days. Keen adds in a combat element with abilities and combos but I mean it still plays out the same. It’s perfectly fine to play, simple controls, a load of moves to unlock, and all that jazz. It’s just I felt fatigued after a few levels, the upgrade path is a slow one, the boss battles are a highlight but overall it’s just a nice game to play every now and then and not one I could obsess over. In short, it’s a fine game and tries to add a bit of spice but the story and pacing drag it back.