KarmaZoo
Review
Lions and Tigers and Bears
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Helping those in need
As a father, there's a simple joy in helping a child who is struggling with a task and having them complete it. I'm sure there are teachers around the world that will say that it is the most rewarding aspect of their day. KarmaZoo can have that same feeling, as players work together to move their way through each of the levels presented to them. And it is often a case of leaving no man (or woman) behind that makes KarmaZoo one of the most pleasant experiences in gaming.
KarmaZoo is a 2 to 10 player online co-operative game that has players initially taking on the role of a blob (one with limited skills) with the goal of collecting karma fruit and reaching the Karma Tree at the end of each level. Working as a team is encouraged, even to the point where players can sacrifice themselves (momentarily) for the greater good – as this grants further karma for the player and the group as a whole. For example, if the path is blocked by a series of spikes that is too far to jump in a single bound, a player could sacrifice themselves as the halfway point, which creates a tombstone for others to use as a median point to cross the spikes.
Players are linked together in KarmaZoo with a bubble-like halo. Players can’t just break away from the rest of the players in the group as they will become separated from this collective halo. Spending too much time away from the collective will result in death, and not one that gains Karma. In this way, KarmaZoo encourages players to work together, and even help those who are lagging behind8.0. On reaching the Karma Tree at the end of each level, players are rewarded for collecting the karma fruit as well as all the good deeds they have completed in the run through. The more good deeds delivered, and the more time spent as a group, the larger the Karma score that will be disbursed to the team.
It's a zoo out there
Once players have gained enough Karma, they can use this to spend on unlocking some of the dozens of creatures to play. Each of these creatures have their own special skills which will help the team move through the levels. The elephant is great for bashing down walls, the hamster is quick and great at turning wheels to operate machinery, whilst the clam is great at sticking to walls, allowing teammates to use the clam as a ledge to reach higher locations. It is enjoyable working out how best to utilise the skills of each character for the good of the team.
With over 300 levels, the game has ample opportunity for players to test out their skills with each of the playable characters. Each of these platform levels are quite well designed, allowing for players to use their character’s abilities throughout the journey – well, on most occasions. There were numerous times that I played as an elephant and didn’t get to use my special charge ability. But having said that the elephant does have the secondary purpose of providing a large tombstone when it dies, making it easier for team-mates to leap across large rows of dangerous spikes. But having said that, the levels seem to be allocated towards the bulk of the characters that have been selected at the beginning of a round.
Puzzle platforming
The levels have enough variation to keep things interesting and often make the game somewhat of a puzzle platformer. There are some levels that require teams to connect a series of light bulbs together, whilst others have a laser eye that zaps players when they are moving (like the Red Light, Green Light game in the Squid Game series). There are also hidden areas for teams to discover as they attempt to collect each piece of Karma fruit.
The levels themselves are split up into smaller sections, and on completion of each section, players get the opportunity to vote on the bonus that the players will gain within the next section. This could involve bonus for the upcoming section, extra karma, or even larger tombstones upon death. Like much of the game, this is a democratic process, with the bonus that scores the most votes being implemented for each player.
Visually, KarmaZoo is split into four different worlds, each with contrasting designs – Desert, Oasis, Temple, and Space, giving the game some added visual variety. For the most part, the level design and characters have an old school pixelized visual design allowing the game mechanics and puzzle elements to shine through, but the backgrounds are gorgeous and reflective of the different world. And although the visuals have the pixelated style, the puzzle elements are easy to discern, making it easy for players to work out the solutions.
Welcome to the Jungle
There is a real sense of togetherness when playing KarmaZoo. Players help each other out, using their skills (both natural gaming skills and that of their chosen character) to work their way through the puzzles provided by the levels. And it is this co-operative nature that allows KarmaZoo to be an entertaining title, whether you’re one of the more experienced players or those who have just started playing. And with the reasonably short levels, it means that players can jump in and out whenever they have a spare 15-20 minutes. But with all the different characters to collect, the fun co-operative nature of the game and the cute visuals, players will no doubt be coming back for more.
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8.0
fun score
Pros
Co-operative gameplay, simple mechanics
Cons
Pixelated visuals may turn off some gamers
