7 / 10

Kao the Kangaroo makes no secret of its inspirations and while this isn't the toughest platformer going, it's refreshingly straightforward.

6 / 10

I initially thought that Kao the Kangaroo would, at the very least, be a great recommendation for younger players. Then I remembered that I and generations of kids cut their teeth on games like Mario, Crash Bandicoot, or Ratchet & Clank – kid-friendly platformers that still offer plenty of mechanical depth, polish, and design creativity. Children are much more capable than we sometimes give credit for, and Kao’s by-the-numbers design would likely bore all but the most nascent of gamers. Kao the Kangaroo isn’t a total disaster by any means. It just feels aggressively average and forgettable which, sadly, has been the case for the mascot for years.

Kao the Kangaroo is a fun 3D platformer franchise revival with solid platforming and less-than-solid narrative.