Kemono Friends: Kingdom is a gacha mobile game set in a unique world filled with delightful animal Friends. With its engaging storyline, strategic turn-based RPG gameplay, and a diverse roster of charming animal-themed characters, this game promises to offer an enjoyable experience for both fans and newcomers to the Kemono Friends franchise. It is coming soon with an Open Beta Test scheduled for June 21!
đźź©Pros
+Fluid visuals and animations
+Charming animal-inspired characters to collect
+Strategic gameplay blending turn-based RPG and Angry Birds gameplay
+A lot of activities to do aside from the main story
+Skipping the story cutscene still gives you a text summary
🟥Cons
-Rough english localization
Kemono Friends: Kingdom features delightful visuals that bring the adorable animal Friends to life. The character designs are superb, charming, and showcase high attention to detail. Vibrant environments, ranging from grasslands to forests and deserts, create an immersive world for players to explore and battle in. The animations are super fluid and it's one of the most visually impressive mobile gacha games I’ve played in recent times.
The Japanese voice acting adds personality and emotion to the characters, enhancing the overall experience. The inclusion of various text localizations, including English and Chinese, ensures accessibility for players worldwide. The localizations may be a bit rough around the edges, but they are still passable and understandable.
Kemono Friends: Kingdom introduces us to the player named main character, a human who awakens in Kingdom, a park separate from the famous Japari Park of the animated series. Stumbling upon the main character are his soon-to-be companions, The Friends — a hybrid of human and animal — Least Weasel and Chevrotain. Together, they embark on a journey filled with battles against the hostile Cerulean creatures. This intriguing premise sets the stage for an exciting adventure as players uncover the mysteries of Kingdom and overcome formidable challenges.
Blending elements of trajectory-based launching akin to Angry Birds with turn-based RPG mechanics, Kemono Friends: Kingdom offers a slight spin on a familiar gameplay format. Players must adjust the trajectory of their Friends' launches (on a paper plane) to strategically attack enemies.
In general, the game follows a turn-based system, where players make tactical decisions per turn and utilize special abilities called Miracles to overcome adversaries. The addition of the Angry Birds launching system adds a bit of extra engagement for the player, as the levels will include various obstacles, map elements, and floating collectibles for the player to navigate around with.
The core gameplay of Kemono Friends: Kingdom revolves around collecting and developing a diverse roster of animal inspired waifu characters simply called “Friends” and progressing in an adventure mode campaign. Each friend has their own Miracle which is their special ability, as well as skills called Habits. You can upgrade and level up these Friends by using materials, and also obtain new ones by playing the game or participating in its gacha mechanics.
The process of collecting and developing Friends is rewarding. Acquiring new Friends through gacha pulls and events keeps the experience fresh. Leveling up Friends, equipping them with gear, and unlocking their potential provide a solid sense of progression and accomplishment.
Each Friend also possesses distinct characteristics, abilities, and Radiance types: Brilliance, Wonder, and Splendor. Understanding the rock-paper-scissors relationships between these Radiances adds depth to team-building, as certain types restrain others, granting advantages in battles.
Friends are categorized into different positions called “Nature”, each with specific roles or miracles. Guard Friends strengthen defense and generate shields, Assault Friends deal high damage, Support Friends enhance team output, Control Friends reduce enemy attacks, and Healer Friends restore health. Building a well-rounded team by incorporating Friends from various positions is essential for success.
A Friends party is composed of a maximum of seven members and one assist Friend, and the player can participate in a lot of varied activities such as endless challenges, missions to target specific materials, or just outright “blitz” any level you’ve completed with a 3 star rating, allowing for a quick progression, if you have plenty of energy; and yes there is an energy system in place, so players may reach this limit when playing and have to spend money or wait to be able to play again. Most of these game modes are unlockable in the early parts of the game, offering early accessibility for players.
Kemono Friends: Kingdom incorporates kingdom-building elements as well, allowing players to construct buildings and develop the Kingdom Park. The game features a prerequisite system where certain buildings require other buildings or specific chapters completed to be constructed. Each building offers unique bonuses to the player like a passive income of energy or credits.
The story campaign is filled with voice-acted visual novel dialogues, but players can choose to skip them and read a summarized version of the cutscenes instead, which is a neat feature that can keep players still updated on the narrative even if they opt to skip it.
As usual with these types of gacha RPG games, the strategic aspects of the turn-based battles add depth to the gameplay. Players must pay attention to the enemies, consider their Friends' strengths, weaknesses, and unique abilities to form effective teams. Balancing team composition and synergy becomes crucial in defeating enemies and progressing through the game. This in turn is heavily affected by the gacha gaming mechanic of the game.
Conclusion:
Kemono Friends: Kingdom delivers a captivating and enjoyable adventure in the Kemono Friends universe. With its engaging storyline, strategic gameplay mechanics, and the joy of collecting and developing a diverse cast of delightful looking animal Friends, the game provides a fun experience for fans and newcomers alike.