Kraken Academy!! Reviews

I covered this game as part of my coverage of the Xbox Game Pass for April 2022

Three-day tIme loops, that seem very Zelda-Esque.

Kraken Academy involves the player joining a prestigious academy and meeting with the Kraken who lives there and no one seems to make a big deal about. From there, the player is taken as the Kraken’s new assistant and has to try to solve various secrets and recover spirits. Players then have to figure out how to help each of the people in the game, befriend people, and figure out how to stop the world from ending. And to do so they’ll have to rewind time every three days to avoid it.

That’s at least the idea of the game, the time loop mechanic is interesting but it does feel like most of the time players can just play through the game straight. There’s not a lot of time management from what I’ve seen so far. The two quests pretty much detail the exact time and place you’ll have to be to advance the story each day. The art here is also a little weak at times. The character images are great, but the standard character sprites are a little underwhelming. However, the writing here makes up for it.

Pick this up if any of this sounds interesting. There’s a Majora’s Mask feeling here at times. However, there’s no combat, and it’s mostly a game where you’ll talk to people and do small Quick Time Events. It’s also a bit short, supposedly around six to eight hours, but after about four hours I think I was only a fourth of the way through the game. Still, this game had me laughing quite a bit, so even there, it’s worth checking out.

If you want to see the video this was taken of, or more from me on the Xbox Game Pass, check out:

This game is a gem. The developers have created a whole universe to satisfy us. It is revolutionary for its time since it is in 16K 240fps.

The soundtrack is grandiose, worthy of the greatest. Berlioz and Chopin are rolling over in their graves.

The gameplay is to die for. Not even Mario Galaxy comes close to it.

$10 for 16 minutes, a long-term investment because the memories will be unforgettable.

Spend time with his wife and children, why? Kraken Academy will fill us with happiness with its aura that pierces the screen.
I quit my job to play it.

Synopsis:

-Kraken Academy is a top-down indie adventure game. You play as a student at Kraken Academy, a school that can barely be called that.
-You get recruited by a magical kraken to save the school from a promised, Wednesday night catastrophe, by releasing the 4 spirits correlated to the schools’ clubs.
-The Kraken gives you a special amulet allowing you to go back in time to Monday morning.
-You replay Monday morning to Wednesday night as many times as you need to, in order to prevent the disaster.

Pros:

-I didn’t expect this game to be funny, but it is. LOTS of idiosyncrasies tickled my sense of humor.
-It's not a terribly difficult game.

Cons:

-Mechanics are practically rudimentary. I ran into random things the ENTIRE GAME. It bothered me a lot.
-The Challenger and Mind Strength achievements are a bit of a headache, especially Yuki’s Challenge. You’re going to need fast thumbs for this one.
-Overall, the game is weird. (Graphical inconsistencies, plot, and sidequests are all over the place, you call your mom to jump forward in time, etc.)

Analysis:

-Storyline is funny
-Gameplay is bad
-Mechanics are awful
-Graphics are inconsistent
-It isn’t difficult

Is it worth it?

-Is the game worth the price? No. I wouldn’t pay more than $5 for this.
-Is the game on game pass? It was, but I played it as it was leaving.
-Is the grind worth the gamerscore? Yes.
-Easy completion? Easy, but a bit long.
-Would I play this game if it had no achievements? No.

TBD Score: 4.73

If you want to see a quick breakdown video and gameplay, I've included a link to my YouTube review below!