Kitten Burst Balances A Nostalgic Artstyle With A Narrative Full of Heart

Kitten Burst allows you to play as a racing cat. With the help of a hacker, players will need to save cyberspace from a megacorp. There are some interesting RPG elements to level up Hapi though the brunt of gameplay is based around flight. The goal is to beat each level as quickly as possible. It doesn’t give a lot of time to really enjoy the wonderfully surreal universe that Hapi exists in.

Boss fights are challenging but come down to just outlasting a timer. At that point the boss will be drained of all its energy. S4ber, the hacker, will then use this ION energy to help Hapi level up. So the player can help take down PANDO. Though players won’t have to learn complex moves, Hapi can feel awkward to control throughout the game. Don’t be fooled by its colorful appearance. It will take some patience to get a hang of the controls. That isn’t to say they couldn’t be smoothed out so that process is more enjoyable. 

There’s also surprisingly touching moments behind the old school 3D art style. At first glance it may look like something not to take too seriously. Instead players will find a cast of characters with their own reasons to help or hinder Hapi. The narrative feels grounded in our present while also showing a grim future. Prepare for a game about a sometimes goofy looking cat to sideswipe your emotions when you least expect it.

That being said, some conversations do drag on quite a bit. This stands out in stark contrast to how fast the levels can move. When Hapi isn’t slowing down time that is. At its heart Kitten Burst is a game that laments the loss of early Internet spaces. And the dialogue will go over this in great detail. Outside of the races the abandoned worlds hold a sad and ominous atmosphere. Players will feel that loss even if they’ve never experienced the “olden days” of the world wide web.

Kitten Burst does have some awkward, disorienting moments during the actual gameplay. This doesn’t stop it from being worth the attempt of getting through it. If flying isn’t enough to keep a player reeled in, Hapi’s purrs might make up for it. Fans of a strong narrative and an engaging soundtrack may enjoy this. If racing games aren’t normally your cup of tea, consider the demo. Kitten Burst might surprise you as well.