KarmaZoo Review (Shalim'a Wolf)
Not going to lie, the elevator pitch of a ten player co-op 2D puzzle platformer...uh...well, made me go, "I've done this song and dance before....pass". Being the one trying to catch up with everyone else in a co-op game while all the challenges had been solved is a frustrating experience. But, surprisingly, this couldn't be further from the case in this game. While there are some frustrations, overall it has been a super charming experience that I keep going back to.
The best way I can describe this is a politeness simulator where you get to play as a variety of adorable animals and other objects. And the levels themselves appear to be generated when you load into them to require the skills of the characters that are brought into them. So, whoever you play as, you are always a necessary component of the team. Be it for tasks that anyone can do (such as holding a door open for everyone) or something only your unique skills can solve. And, at least in my experience, everyone seems to understand this. As, every time I've missed a jump or misunderstood the challenge, people have gone back for me. Whether it's just to keep my protection bubble from popping or to provide a shortcut for me past a solved puzzle. And, considering the limited means of communication, it's charming to see how everyone seems to have developed a means conveying information is a fairly effective manner.
I do have a few complaints, but they're fairly minor. The puzzles can sometimes be vague in what they're expecting from you. Though, since the level timer is pretty lenient, that's generally not a problem. The player feels like it's fairly low at certain times of day, though again. It's not a huge deal since the stages are generated based on skills present and capabilities of the party...regardless if it's three people or ten. And, one that I understand, but still find frustrating is that it's not possible to form a partial party and queue up. I know that it sucks to be the one random tagging along with a nearly full stack. But, I feel like you could compromise and...say, allow parties of two to queue up, but have an additional requirement of requiring at least four people to start.
Still, all in all, this has been an unexpectedly charming and wonderful experience that has brought quite a lot of joy. What a fantastic game~