HAL's experimented with 3D Kirby before, but this is Kirby's first full adventure in 3D, and they nailed it. The levels, puzzles, powers, game feel, and bosses are all authentically Kirby. In fact, it feels so much like a Kirby game, it's kinda weird to me how much praise it's getting compared to other recent entries. It can't just be the new perspective, right? Clearly the game makes some clever changes to the formula. I can think of a few.

I have a much easier time remembering the levels themselves in this game. Part of that is them being 3D and thus more spatially involving. Part of it is how aesthetically distinct they are from previous Kirby games. Most of all, it's the missions forcing me to engage with them more than ever before. Sure, other games involved searching levels or overcoming challenges for macguffins, but the missions have more character and are tied more to the environment rather than just the level structure. Reaching the end of the level and seeing that one of the missions was "Remove the wanted poster" made me not only pay more attention next time I played that level, but I paid more attention to posters in later levels too, just in case.

Thoroughly exploring the levels for secrets also creates part of an engaging loop with the Waddle Dee Town. In previous games, collectables were mostly limited to providing extra lives, unlocking levels, or offering aesthetic novelties. While Forgotten Land has collectables like that, the Waddle Dees and Blueprints also incentivize the player to revisit the growing Waddle Dee Town. There, the player can see how the saved Waddle Dees have built the town with facilities like the Café for healing on-the-go, use the Blueprints to upgrade copy abilities, and spend leftover star coins at the gotcha machines. This creates a satisfying loop of completing the levels, returning to the town to use what was collected, and progressing to the next level to find more Waddle Dees (and to use the upgraded copy abilities).

The town also adds to the theming and cohesion. Despite being in a new world, being able to return to a home away from home at any time keeps the game feeling cozy. Mini-games and side activities that were previously accessed through a menu are now just places in the town that the Waddle Dees also enjoy, making it all feel like part of one holistic experience.

Reviewed on May 09, 2022


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