The Switch has fast become my favorite mobile game device of all time. Apart from the design of the hardware the flow of indies that are releasing on the device have made it my go to console. The most recent gem to be released is KAMIKO, and for $5 it's money well spent.
Developed by FlighHigh Works in KAMIKO you'll play as one of three princesses. Yamato with her two handed sword, Uzume with a bow and arrow, or Hinome with her sword and shield. You'll lead your princess through a series of 4 stages. In each stage you'll unlock for shrines. Once the shrines are unlocked you'll be able to encounter the final boss of a stage.
As you make your way through each stage enemies will be spawned when you reach certain trigger points. You can move in and out of areas to spawn waves of enemies to fill a blue resource you collect by killing them. This blue energy is used to break seals on treasure chests and other secrets and locks you'll encounter throughout the game.
Each stage has a number of puzzles which aren't overly difficult but offer a slight challenge. The main draw to the game is the aesthetics and the level design. You'll probably be able to beat the game in under 2 hours your first time through. This game invites you to play again and again to improve your time. If you were never interested in speed running before KAMIKO just might be the first game to scratch that itch. Apparently some players have the game down to 15 minutes already. It's pretty amazing.
The main draw for KAMIKO is its gorgeous pixel aesthetics and serene music score. It's also a very approachable adventure game that offers mild challenges while not being overly difficult. I even managed to miss a power up along the way and I thought I had checked every nook and cranny. While KAMIKO may be lacking a bit of depth you get what you pay for with this title and $5 dollars is definitely worth 2 hours of fun.
8/10
