Kukoos: Lost Pets Review: Fall Guys x LittleBigPlanet
A long, long time ago (or recent, idk), in a galaxy far, far away (or next door, who knows?)… there is a world almost completely covered in one giant ocean. It’s a waterworld rich in aquatic diversity, teeming with life under the sea. But our story doesn’t take place here; instead, our story begins on the 1% of land on this world — a small, practically insignificant island. You see, on this island sits a tree. It’s not just any tree, of course, as it contains magical multitudes within its trunk, accessible by mystical doors. It is in one such door that a celebration was held, just like any other year; unlike any other year, however, things go awry, and the need for a hero arises…
Thus begins Kukoos: Lost Pets, a 3D platforming adventure with enough color to make Crayloa green with envy. Developed by Petit Fabrik and published by Modus Games, Kukoos: Lost Pets exits Steam early access on December 6, 2022 after spending nearly a year in beta, fully launching on PC, PS4, and Switch. A cute platformer on the surface with some tricks up its sleeve to keep kids and adults alike on their toes, Kukoos: Lost Pets is a 10 – 20 hour romp filled with fun for all ages.
As previously mentioned, Kukoos: Lost Pets opens up on a very special event: Pet Day. Hosted by none other than Gramma herself, Pet Day is the day all Kukoos gather to compete in athletic activities with their furry and feathered friends. All was going well when, suddenly, the king of the sea arrived with a pet of his own, controlled by a robotic headband known as the Kukoomand. Not wanting to be outdone by their aquatic counterparts, the Kukoos scrambled to put Kukoomands on their own pets, only to find that the headbands went haywire and caused all pets to suddenly attack their owners. Sensing greatness in you, Gramma gives you a concoction made from fwendly plants, which allows you to enter into magical worlds in an effort to free the pets, gather more plants, defeat the villanous sea king’s creatures, and save the day. Are you up for the challenge?
Controls are extremely simple in Kukoos: Lost Pets — if you’ve played one 3D platformer before, you’re going to be able to handle this one just fine. The aesthetics were immediately reminiscent of Fall Guys due to the extreme amounts of eye-popping color and for their suspiciously bean-shaped people. The music, on the other hand, sent me right back to the days of playing LittleBigPlanet, which I would attribute to the heavily themed tracks with unique vocals. And speaking of trips back to yesteryear, I’d say the quantity of collectibles plopped me back to the days of Banjo-Kazooie and DK64, although Kukoos: Lost Pets doesn’t truly hold a candle to the sheer amount of them (more like the ratio of square footage to collectible aspect). A good mix of games to be amongst, I’d say!
When it comes to gameplay, Kukoos: Lost Pets doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does refine it to make this type of game accessible to nearly any age group. Spanning several distinct worlds, players will need to navigate the twisty-turny paths leading from start to finish with one of a handful of helpful pets along the way. The first world, a South American jungle-themed series of spots, sees players assisted by a small flying creature capable of illuminating the way, activating ancient tech and stunning mind-controlled pets with their flashbulbs. The second world, a Big City type place, has players helped by a literal platform pal, offering not only a step up but a place to swing from. With the help of these fascinating friends, the courageous kukoos will certainly be able to clear every last level, beat all the bosses, and save the day (and all the pets along the way)!
I enjoyed my time spent with Kukoos: Lost Pets, as it was challenging enough to entice me to try to collect every last item and clear every level with flying colors, but I did run into a few notable hiccups worth mentioning. Specifically, the combat is a little iffy at times for frustrating reasons. On the first boss battle, I could tell what I was supposed to do from the get go, but the timing felt bad — like a bit too slow. The action I was supposed to take was constantly prompted by my pet as well, which took the fun out of the puzzle-solving aspect. I wouldn’t mind a hint if I was struggling or if I opted to see one, but to offer it right from the beginning up until the very end (to the point where the message didn’t clear in the cutscene) was annoying. And speaking of boss battles, after hitting one of the smaller enemies, my character would be locked in a T-pose unless I mashed the controller, which led to quite a few unintentional deaths. I know the dev team is on top of a few bugs already, so I’m hoping this gets patched quickly as well.
Despite a few easily fixable issues that I foresee being patched in the near future, Kukoos: Lost Pets is an adorable little 3D platformer that will easily entertain young and old alike. I could see this being a family favorite, with parents and kids each grabbing a controller to cooperatively save every last pet, pluck every last fwendly plant, and beat every last boss together. Kukoos: Lost Pets may look simple, but its puzzle elements provide some perplexing moments that’ll satisfy veterans for a weekend and newcomers for much, much longer. If you’re looking for something that’s cute on the surface but a little more complex in its core, the island of Kukoos: Lost Pets beckons.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Available on: Switch, PC, PS5, PS4 (Reviewed); Publisher: Modus Games; Developer: Petit Fabrik; Players: 1-4; Released: December 6, 2022; MSRP: $29.99
Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Kukoos: Lost Pets provided by the publisher.
