Kuon is an obscure but really enjoyable survival horror game. While the gameplay itself is not at all outstanding, the story, setting, lore and characters are what makes it a memorable experience.
-Gameplay: the combat is very simple but unfortunately also pretty clunky and outdated. The player fights with a melee weapon and uses different spell cards (mainly ranged spells and summons) obtainable through looting. The fights can look great but they usually feel way too dumb. Between enemy encounters the player has to explore certain areas and progress through closed doors via ‘keys’ obtained in different ways. It gives a similar vibe to Resident Evil’s but on a much simpler level. The lack of puzzles does not help either. Kuon does have some great aspects however, like the ‘vertigo’ mechanic, which makes the player afraid of running and encourages a more careful playstyle.
-Atmosphere: Kuon has a really immersive, eerie, creepy atmosphere, thanks to the smartly used camera angles, a rotting, unsettling environment and the horrific enemies and sounds they make. Although the game is not too scary, it does a good job at creating suspense and always keeping the player on edge. The 12th century Japanese setting also adds to the unique vibe.
-Story: Kuon’s biggest strength is definitely the story it tells and how it tells it. The game can be played as one of two protagonists and after completing the game with both of them, a third character unlocks, whose playthrough includes the true ending. The first two playthroughs roughly take 4 hours each and thankfully there are enough differences (both in gameplay and story elements) to keep the experience fresh. While the first playthrough is enjoyable in itself, it doesn’t answer every question. For the whole picture, all three campaigns have to be finished. The third playthrough is less than an hour long and does a great job concluding the story. Kuon’s surprisingly rich lore is heavily inspired by Japanese folklore and therefore spawns a very ‘Japanese horror story’ with some twists, a great deal of mystery, many creepy moments and a cast of cool characters.
-Gameplay: the combat is very simple but unfortunately also pretty clunky and outdated. The player fights with a melee weapon and uses different spell cards (mainly ranged spells and summons) obtainable through looting. The fights can look great but they usually feel way too dumb. Between enemy encounters the player has to explore certain areas and progress through closed doors via ‘keys’ obtained in different ways. It gives a similar vibe to Resident Evil’s but on a much simpler level. The lack of puzzles does not help either. Kuon does have some great aspects however, like the ‘vertigo’ mechanic, which makes the player afraid of running and encourages a more careful playstyle.
-Atmosphere: Kuon has a really immersive, eerie, creepy atmosphere, thanks to the smartly used camera angles, a rotting, unsettling environment and the horrific enemies and sounds they make. Although the game is not too scary, it does a good job at creating suspense and always keeping the player on edge. The 12th century Japanese setting also adds to the unique vibe.
-Story: Kuon’s biggest strength is definitely the story it tells and how it tells it. The game can be played as one of two protagonists and after completing the game with both of them, a third character unlocks, whose playthrough includes the true ending. The first two playthroughs roughly take 4 hours each and thankfully there are enough differences (both in gameplay and story elements) to keep the experience fresh. While the first playthrough is enjoyable in itself, it doesn’t answer every question. For the whole picture, all three campaigns have to be finished. The third playthrough is less than an hour long and does a great job concluding the story. Kuon’s surprisingly rich lore is heavily inspired by Japanese folklore and therefore spawns a very ‘Japanese horror story’ with some twists, a great deal of mystery, many creepy moments and a cast of cool characters.