The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today’s entry shines the spotlight on fast-paced hack-em-up, Blade Kitten.
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Developer: Krome Studios
Region(s) available: North America
Players: 1
Ever wondered what it would be like to walk in the fury feet of a human/cat hybrid known as Kit Ballard? Yes? Well, Blade Kitten should be right up your street, then. Based on the eponymous web comic series, the game centres on Ballard, a bounty hunter who inhabits the planet of Hollow Wish who is busy sniffing out the trail of a dodgy chap by the name of Terra-Li. Typical however, our spunky heroine quickly finds herself caught up in a far more sinister state of affairs, kicking off what is a bread n’ butter slash-em-up.
Players control the pink-haired protagonist as she navigates a variety of vibrant locales, scrapping with the local baddies. Oddly enough, while the stages are rendered in 3D, Kit’s movement is limited to a retro-flavoured ‘run-from-one-end-to-the-other’ style progression. Being a bounty hunter, Kit’s kitted out (sorry, couldn’t resist) with some pretty meaty manoeuvres, including flashy acrobatics allowing her to scale walls, ceilings and pretty much anything else that looks climbable. Weapons-wise our heroine wields a potent sword known as the darque blade, which serves as your primary weapon.
Blade Kitten sprinkles in a fair amount of platforming elements in between slicing up foes, and Kit will have ample opportunity to put her nimble acrobatic skills to fine use. As such, expect copious amounts of jumping about all over the place. The action also transitions from on-foot antics to riding on the back of a colossal beast from time-to-time, as well as a few other unique set pieces dotted here and there. Button-mashers are sure to have a field day where combat’s concerned however, though bosses offer a little more strategy than your bog-standard flunky.
Elsewhere, completionists will likely find themselves distracted by the chance to hoover up all the loot on offer. Earn enough dough and you can invest various upgrades to bolster Kit’s health, stamina and other rudimentary attributes. Stages are generally pretty expansive, affording a fair bit of exploration on the player’s part if you fancy scoping out those hidden goodies. Plus, the visuals are pretty scrumptious to boot, with Blade Kitten’s anime-tinged aesthetics likely to resonate with any self-respecting fan of this particular avenue. There’s plenty of unlockables up for grabs too, particularly in the costume department, as well as the chance to augment your blade with extra abilities.
Tune in again same time tomorrow as we once again go gallivanting around Inside PlayStation Network.