-KLAUS-

Review

Where is Klaus . . . you know that little dude who looks like the famous Rock and Roll singer in the 60’s? Bugger me, I have his name on the tip of my tongue; they have the same Pompadour hairstyle and I think the same number of letters in their first name. That’s it; he looks like Elvis! Have you seen him? Nobody has seen him for a while, and we are anxious about him. Meanwhile, somewhere in a building basement, a fellow matching the above description (not Elvis) wakes up but can’t recall where he is, or who he is, for that matter. It’s definitely a Klaus act!

-KLAUS- is a platformer game, developed and published by La Cosa, where you’ll be playing Klaus and K1, who looks like him but four to five times his size.

Let me start this way - it has been quite some time for me since playing a platformer game for nearly 7 hours straight, and I loved every single minute I spend with Klaus and K1! So far, I managed to beat two bosses and am currently playing the 5^th out of the 6 stages available. Each of the stages has six levels to go through, and some have sublevels as well as secret areas.

At first, you’ll be playing KLAUS, but very soon after, you’ll be meeting K1 who is some sort of Klaus twin Hulk lost brother. You can make them fun fast and jump, but ultimately they have a few specific differences; Klaus is tiny and can move through narrow corridors which K1 can’t. However, K1 is build like ox and therefore possesses high-level strength and can smash his way through doors like nobody’s business! Both of them can sprint, but only Klaus can double jump, while K1 can jump and use his uppercut to reach new heights, and can also fly by deploying the rest of his shirt as a parachute to fly by a section of the level.

In some instances you might find that either Klaus or his twin beast can’t reach a platform above, no matter what; then it’s time to use K1’s strength to propel KLAUS up there, and you’ll be on your way to the next section! The other thing you will come across are platforms that need to be unlocked, or are moving up and down really fast. For these you need to either hack a computer with Klaus, or destroy it with K1. Don’t worry too much, as the game will automatically save as you touch the return arrow.

The levels are well-designed and not only you have to avoid obstacles, but you can also use moveable platforms to your advantage, which is another thing I really like about this game; you can select the platforms that have a gear displayed in the middle to help you get through the next phase. So, you can use one or both characters at the same time, as well as a platform to move further into the level. Expect to die several times until you get the sequences down pat!  

Another thing I like about the game, although it does make it difficult, is that when you move your character through the level, the story will be displayed as you walk past.  However, if you’re like me, you’ll tend to have your eyes looking at it while your character keeps moving, which is, in turn, a recipe for dying! Each of the stages has secret areas, and you can’t miss them as they are portrayed by a flashing sphere.

These will be different from one to the next; some will be easy and others might take you a good twenty minutes to clear. Great variations of mechanisms. Personally, I love it! Especially when you have the feeling of what’s next!

The story is great too! You’ll have to play the game to find out for yourself, but let me tell you, you won’t be disappointed at all.

Great Graphics with a good soundtrack. You can play with a gamepad or on your keyboard, but I strongly recommend using a gamepad. I really enjoy the levels and the game runs perfectly! What a little gem this game is!