Based on eat-Asian mythology, Krut: The Mythic Wings is a punishing action platformer that is as rewarding as it is tedious.
Players take on the role of Vera. After the Ogre army invades the peaceful nation of Garuda and seizes the capital. Mortally wounded, Vera is gifted the Mythic Wings, a mystical artefact that could grant him the power to single-handedly drive back the Orgres and reclaim his homeland.
To do this, Vera must hack-and-slash his way through six levels packed with deadly foes and brutal bosses.
After a quick tutorial, Vera is unleashed… To have their arse kicked by the first foe they encounter.
Like Blasphemous before it, the key to victory in Krut: The Mythic Wings is to read your enemy’s attacks to figure out when it is best to strike, rather than swing away like an angry child with a bamboo cane and hope for the best.
The other thing you need to do is remember to regularly upgrade your abilities and gear. This helps immensely. However, the same currency used to buy upgrades is also used to unlock checkpoints. Also, if you run out of lives, you’re kicked back to the beginning of a level and all the checkpoints you just used your upgrade cash on are locked up again.
Attrition in games can be enjoyable, but only when you know there is a point where the tables will eventually turn in your favour, but Krut: The Mythic Wings goes out of its way to grind you into a fine paste and then spread your remains on toast.
It’s a shame because the world of Krut is a wonderful place to explore, filled with beautiful gods and monsters based on characters from Thai mythology and folklore. If like me, you are a sucker for learning more about other cultures and their stories, Krut scratches that itch.
In the end, though, I got to a point where I wondered whether it was worth the unending slog. Even on Easy, the game is challenging, and at six levels long, you get the feeling that maybe the game was made so punishing to make Krut appear larger than it actually is.
I would rather have a game last two hours and love every second than play a game for ten hours, and it is so infuriating at times that I want to delete it from my Switch and never return.
However, If you like a challenge and love exploring other cultures, Krut: The Mythic Wings may be a game to comfortably see you through a not-so-relaxing weekend.
