Kio's Adventure

Kio's Adventure is an awesome horror adventure game that has some pretty brutal imagery that is not for those of you who are a bit on the squeamish side. I went into this game not expecting much if I am being honest with you guys. However, after playing it for about 20 minutes, I was hooked and wanted to see it all the way until the end as I became so invested.

An Earthquake And A Strange Place

The game has a tremendous story. The main character of Kio's Adventure is called Kio and one day she is meeting her two best friends at a McDonald’s knock-off-style fast food joint. Things are normal, but then an earthquake hits and she finds herself in a strange and horrific world and her friends have been kidnapped and are being tortured!

Kio needs to save her friends and figure out how to get the hell out of this place. Now, the story is great and I was in from the start. However, the translation here is all over the place and at first, it is quite jarring. You know what they are trying to say so you do get used to it after a short while.

Staying Alive

This is a survival horror adventure game. You control Kio and you start off in a dungeon, but you do eventually go to different areas, my personal favorite being a creepy apartment where a scary dude is pursuing you. The game has you needing to solve various puzzles and Kio's Adventure does something great here in that it does not make the puzzles so cryptic that they become a chore to do.

You have to find items, use them to solve puzzles and you also have to fight! Most of the time, you are best fighting as a last resort as the ammo is very scarce! The game is just a lot of fun to play and has a very unnerving vibe the whole time you play it. The game is played with a keyboard and this was ok, but I do wish that it offered controller support.

Scary Or Sexy?

Some people may class Kio's Adventure as a lewd game, but I would class it as a horror game. This is a very creepy-looking game, even with its 16-bit vibe that it has some truly shocking moments. The game has these death images and these are brutal and sure to stick with you.

Think of a movie like Saw, but with sexual violence and you have an idea of what to expect here. This is a game that is not here to get you off, it is here to scare and shock you and it 100 percent succeeds in this regard.

Pros:

• I liked Kio as a character
• The story is truly engaging
• This is awesome if you love horror movies and games
• It is very easy to get into
• I liked the way the game handled its puzzles

Cons:

• The translation is pretty damn rough
• I do wish they let you play it with a controller

Kio's Adventure is a bizarre escapade through a pixelated horror landscape that feels unsettling without even playing it. This RPG Maker product delivers a spooky atmosphere and absurdities that could delight and frustrate you, depending on your fancy. With its decent pixel art and a few genuinely creepy moments, the game manages to carve out a niche in the crowded world of indie horror - even if its pacing and 'Engrish' occasionally leave you scratching your head.

Kio's Adventure takes you on an unconventional journey through winding corridors and dilapidated locales. It's obviously not afraid to display sometimes shocking, sexual imagery, ensuring every turn brings something to talk about, and probably not in a good way. Do I really want to do this? Guess I have to.

Flashing Imagery

The adventure begins in a creepy basement filled with long, winding hallways, creating an atmosphere of dread. When you stumble upon a gruesome pile of writhing flesh, the sense of impending doom intensifies, curating the exact atmosphere the game wants. Now, the stage is set for the mechanics, traditional top-down RPG elements with a turn-based battle that isn't anything particularly special.

It's really all about the horrific exploration in Kio's Adventure. The main character's painstakingly slow walking speed is initially tolerable, attempting to build an atmosphere. Still, it becomes a serious flaw in this massive, trap-laden space. It feels like every area challenges your patience as much as your nerves, and doesn't feel like the game is doing anything but try and shock you.

It's further taken down a peg by the flurry of nonsensical moments, too. At one point, a hilariously inept, overweight "weeb" named Bobo rescues you—only to drag you to his apartment for a series of bizarre and grotesque events. From being drugged and tied up to encountering shocking scenes like severed heads in the fridge, the game never shies away from the dark and twisted. Its clunkiness and absurdity throw everything off-kilter.

The latter stages of Kio's Adventure lean on familiar RPG Maker tropes. A tedious school setting with mundane puzzles and predictable key quests gives way to some surreal moments but not the revelations one would think. The final boss fight, featuring a giant penis monster that unleashes white goo and death lasers, epitomizes the game's descent into ludicrousness. Repeatedly facing an over-the-top boss with incomprehensible Engrish dialogue can wear down your enthusiasm - making it a love-it-or-hate-it experience.

Haunting Kio

In the end, Kio's Adventure is a mixed bag that manages to entertain, but you can't say it's a good game. Its eerie pixel art and inventive, if sometimes crude, horror elements provide a fun diversion for fans of offbeat RPG Maker titles. But the slow pace and awkward dialogue will test anyone's patience, even disregarding all the unsettling horror imagery throughout.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Affordable and enjoyable pixel art
• Spooky, atmospheric settings with creative horror elements
• Unpredictable humor and bizarre twists that keep you guessing

Cons:

• Tedious walking speed and pacing issues in larger areas
• Clunky and sometimes laughable Engrish dialogue
• Out-of-place sexual and gory elements that may not suit all tastes