Every now and then, you just need a game that doesn't demand your full mental capacity. You don't always want to fight grueling bosses or memorize massive skill trees. Sometimes, you just want to run around a colorful island, smack bad guys with a sandal, and listen to good music. Kalanoro, developed by the Madagascar based Red Raketa Studio, aims to be exactly that kind of palate cleanser.
Drawing heavy inspiration from the golden era of PlayStation 2 platformers like Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter, this 3D isometric adventure is bursting with African cultural identity. But does its charm make up for its rougher edges. Let's break it down.
The story follows Kalakeli, a young girl destined by prophecy to free the island of Lemuria from Ranemi an evil, factory building corporate villain. To ruin Ranemi's plans, Kalakeli has to put together a band made entirely of rescued lemurs and crash the villain's massive concert.
It’s a lighthearted, goofy premise that works well for the genre. However, don't expect deep character development. Kalakeli is the hero simply because the game says she is, and the lemur bandmates you rescue lack any real memorable personality. They serve their purpose to move the plot forward, but they act more like checklist items than actual companions.
Where Kalanoro succeeds best is in its core gameplay loop. The levels are bite sized usually taking only two to three minutes to clear which keeps the pacing brisk. You won't get bored exploring the caves, mountains, and factories because the game rarely wastes your time.
Kalakeli uses her massive hair as a grappling hook to dash at enemies, but the real star of the show is the weapon variety. Instead of swords or guns, you fight using frying pans, carrots, and the ultimate weapon of moms everywhere: the flip flop. It’s hilarious and adds a great layer of physical comedy to the combat.
The platforming itself is highly readable. The game gently guides you toward the main path while leaving obvious breadcrumbs for secret areas. If you unlock a new ability, you can immediately use it to find hidden paths in older levels. It’s a very traditional structure, but it works.
Between levels, you hang out in a Taxi Brousse
(a local bush taxi) that acts as your mobile headquarters. Here, you have to manage your rescued lemur musicians. They are incredibly needy. You have to find specific ingredients in the levels to cook their favorite meals and play specific cassette tapes to keep them happy. If they get too angry, they actually leave the band, forcing you to go back into older levels to rescue them all over again.
The hub has a day/night cycle. If a lemur is sleeping, you can't feed them. The workaround is blasting music to wake them up for an impromptu dance party so you can shove food in their mouths. Furthermore, the radio doesn't auto play when you enter the bus; you have to manually turn it on every single time. These small friction points turn what should be a relaxing base building element into a bit of a chore.
For a game entirely centered around building a band to play a massive show, the concerts are shockingly boring. Instead of a fun rhythm mini game or a chaotic boss fight, the concerts are reduced to basic Quick Time Events (QTEs). You hit a few buttons while shooting enemies in the background. It feels incredibly flat and represents the game's biggest missed opportunity.
The difficulty across the board is practically non existent. The bosses are routine and forgettable. While Kalanoro is clearly designed to be a stress free experience (it even includes an immortality mode for young kids), veterans of the genre will likely find themselves wishing the game pushed back at least a little bit in the final hours.
What Kalanoro lacks in challenge, it makes up for in style. The game drips with Malagasy influence, from the names of the dishes you cook to the incredibly warm, saturated color palette. The graphics aren't cutting edge, but they are undeniably charming.
The soundtrack is also a major highlight specifically the track Lemuria Banana
, which is an absolute earworm. It’s just a shame that the in game audio mixing can be a bit sloppy, with some sound effects feeling detached from the action.
- Strong, unique Malagasy cultural identity and warm art direction.
- Hilarious combat weapons (attacking enemies with flip-flops never gets old).
- Short, well-paced levels that respect your time.
- A fantastic, catchy soundtrack.
- Great for kids or adults looking for a low-stress "coffee game."
- Zero difficulty; boss fights are entirely forgettable.
- The concert sequences are boring, basic QTEs.
- Managing the lemurs in the bus hub quickly becomes a tedious chore.
- Characters lack depth or memorable personalities.
- Minor technical hiccups and clunky audio mixing.
"Kalanoro doesn't reinvent the 3D platformer, and its lack of challenge and tedious hub mechanics hold it back. However, its vibrant world, cultural charm, and short runtime make it a perfectly cozy weekend game, especially if you have a young gamer in the house."
