Kernel Hearts is a roguelike action RPG that dazzles with its authentic anime art style from an Argentinian studio but whose combat leaves much to be desired.
Kernel Hearts has me at an impasse. I was thoroughly impressed with the art style at first glance, as I assume many others were. An Argentinian studio nailing that all-encompassing Japanese anime art style? If there is anything that made the rounds online, it is the dazzling pink-haired magical girl animation cutscene. It is eye-catching. It is titillating. And yet, playing the game itself does not deliver the goods in a way that I wish it did. It’s a valiant effort of an action RPG, but one that I struggle to fully back for a slew of reasons.
The opening cutscene, also featuring mesmerizing anime artistry, tells the story of how humanity is on the brink of extinction. In an alternate timeline, humans discovered a child with glowing yellow eyes that eventually developed magical powers. She was subsequently weaponized and accelerated our demise.
Now quite literally fighting against god in the Tower of Babel, the last remnants of humanity rely on androids mimicking those magical girl powers to save them. It’s a strong beginning that basically lets the player roam free soon after only giving morsels of narrative after reaching certain checkpoints.
More Than Surface Mechanics
Roguelikes are a proliferating genre in the indie scene, but conquering it is another story. Asking players in Kernel Hearts to explore the same map again and again while receiving marginal improvements to their stats is a tall order. Much like Sisyphus’ curse, if not rewarding players correctly, it might simply feel like a punishment to play.
The phrase “one more round” is constantly mentioned in reviews of these types of games, but how do you truly achieve that? By giving a mix of small tweaks to each round, make it feel like the player’s time is not wasted. This can be achieved in various ways. But Kernel Hearts falls short in most of them.
How a game feels is what characterizes it. Most other details, like story, setting, or soundtrack, can elevate it, but it could be forgiven if the gameplay itself is what truly shines. In the case of Kernel Hearts, it’s the flashiness that lures, but the execution leaves more to be desired. Each level unfolds in a vast field, roaming with a small amount of repetitive enemies that range from using fast melee attacks and bullet-hell-adjacent ranged moves. Although there is a perfect dodge move that can be performed in the nick of time, it does not feel visually like it registers well. Then there’s the combat.
A Hit And A Miss
There are four unlockable magical girls. First using Fernet (like the alcoholic drink Argentinians drink with coke), she fancily drinks mate in her idle animation. That is charming enough, so much so that she even earned a spot in Fortnite. Her pink hair and anime look might earn her more than one unsuspecting fan. But I digress. In combat, she uses normal and special attacks that, while flashy, again do not feel weighty. In fact, it feels a bit too airy. Certain enemies that have too much airtime themselves end up becoming more of an annoyance to follow and try to hit.
A clever mechanic in each run is that before trying to collect a bit too many power-ups, there is a bar on the right-hand side that, when filled up to 100%, basically throws a meteor and ends your run short. The only way to combat this is by going to fight the boss of each area to progress. Bosses in Kernel Hearts use a variety of area-of-effect attacks and summon smaller enemies to distract as they conjure even more impactful spells.
There’s a notable difficulty spike when facing them. Some late-game bosses—a fallen angel no less—are almost impossible to fight with Fernet. Because other magical girls, such as Spika, move faster, this is where the roguelike elements most noticeably fall short. Playing in online co-op is a saving grace, with friends helping you mow down the barrage of foes.
It is not that Kernel Hearts is a bad game; it’s just that I wish there was more to it. The improvements picked up on every run do not feel like they make any actual change in combat. Fighting spongy enemies one after another endlessly might not be the idea of fun for action RPG players when the competition out there is so fierce.
Looking at the narrative beats, it is clearly taking big swings on its commentary of humanity’s tendency to devastation in the name of progress. That is an intriguing topic, but it is held back due to an abundance of fanservice that does not fully commit to the bit either. At least the music is something pleasant or exciting to listen to throughout.
Verdict: Kernel Hearts
Being intrigued by a game’s art style is a valid argument to try it. Perhaps that is one of the reasons players clamor for demos. Because you will never know how a game feels until you actually get to play it. I do not regret playing Kernel Hearts. Its dazzling anime cutscenes and eye-catching art style are enough to take it for a ride, even if a short one. But its floaty combat and lack of meaningful rewards on each run might deter players from committing in the long term.
Reviewed on PlayStation 5 Pro. Also available on Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
A key was provided for this review.
Developer: Ephemera Games
Publisher: Whitethorn Games
Release date: Out now
Pros:
- Pleasant music throughout
- Interesting story takes big swings
- Gorgeous anime art style and cutscenes
- Online multiplayer is good fun with friends
Cons
- Floaty combat
- Lack of enemy variety
- No meaningful power-ups on each run
- Late-game bosses have unreasonable difficulty spikes
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Okay
